bread-and-butter

1 of 2

adjective

bread-and-but·​ter ˈbred-ən(d)-ˈbə-tər 

1

a

: being as basic as the earning of one's livelihood

bread-and-butter issues

b(1)

: reliable

our bread-and-butter repertoire

(2)

: dependable as a source of income

a company's bread-and-butter products

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter letter

bread and butter

2 of 2

noun

: a means of sustenance or livelihood

Examples of bread-and-butter in a Sentence

Noun

Casual clothing has always been the company's bread and butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Even those focusing on those bread-and-butter leisure sports are taking it up a notch with world-class coaching programs. —Hannah Seligson, Robb Report, 19 June 2025

Use dill pickle slices instead of bread-and-butter pickles to provide a sharp flavor contrast. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 10 June 2025

Noun

Always proud of his fastball-slider combo, Rodón previously said that he’s become less stubborn about sticking to his bread and butter as his secondary stuff has improved. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025

But if Djokovic has turned this style of tennis into his late-career bread and butter, then Sinner is its apex predator. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bread-and-butter

• kilometre
• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• flutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter

Kids Definition

bread-and-butter

adjective

ˌbred-ᵊn-ˈbət-ər

1

a

: concerned with or being as basic as earning a living

bread-and-butter economic issues

b

: dependable

bread-and-butter products that always sell

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter note