butt

\ ˈbət

Definition of butt

(Entry 1 of 6)

1 : buttocks slipped and fell on his butt —often used as a euphemism for ass in idiomatic expressionsGet your butt over here.kick buttsaved our butts

2 : the large or thicker end part of something:

a : the thicker or handle end of a tool or weapon the butt of a rifle

b food : a lean upper cut of the pork shoulder

c : the base of a plant from which the roots spring

3a : an unused remainder (as of a cigarette or cigar)

b slang : cigarette

4 : the part of a hide or skin corresponding to the animal's back and sides

butt

noun (2)

Definition of butt (Entry 2 of 6)

1 : an object of abuse or ridicule : victim the butt of all their jokes

2a : target

b butts plural : range sense 5c shooting butts

c : a blind for shooting birds

d : a backstop (such as a mound or bank) for catching missiles shot at a target

3a archaic : goal here is my journey's end, here is my butt— William Shakespeare

b obsolete : limit, bound

butt

verb (1)

butted; butting; butts

Definition of butt (Entry 3 of 6)

transitive verb

: to strike or shove with the head or horns got butted by a goat butting their horns together

intransitive verb

: to thrust or push headfirst : strike with the head or horns

butt heads

: to come into conflict

butt

noun (3)

Definition of butt (Entry 4 of 6)

: a blow or thrust usually with the head or horns a head butt to the ribs

butt

verb (2)

butted; butting; butts

Definition of butt (Entry 5 of 6)

intransitive verb

: abut —used with on or againstwhere the floorboards butt against each otherThe apartment building butts up against an old church.

transitive verb

1 : to place end to end or side to side without overlapping butt the boards together

2 : to trim or square off (something, such as a log) at the end

3 : to reduce (something, such as a cigarette) to an unused remainder by stubbing or stamping : to reduce to a butt (see butt entry 1 sense 3a)

butt

noun (4)

Definition of butt (Entry 6 of 6)

1 : a large cask especially for wine, beer, or water

2 : any of various units of liquid capacity especially : a measure equal to 108 imperial (see imperial entry 1 sense 4) gallons (491 liters)

History and Etymology for butt

Noun (1)

Middle English; probably akin to Middle English buttok buttock, Low German butt blunt

Noun (2)

Middle English, partly from Middle French but target, of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse būtr log, Low German butt blunt; partly from Middle French bute goal, target, mound, from but target

Verb (1) and Noun (3)

Middle English, from Anglo-French buter, boter, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bōzan to beat — more at beat

Verb (2)

partly from butt entry 1, partly from butt entry 2

Noun (4)

Middle English, from Anglo-French but, bout, from Old Occitan bota, from Late Latin buttis

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