butt

1 of 6

noun (1)

plural butts
1
: buttocks
slipped and fell on his butt
often used as a euphemism for ass in idiomatic expressions
Get your butt over here.
kick butt
saved 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 marbled upper cut of the pork shoulder

called also Boston butt

c
: the base of a plant from which the roots spring
3
a
: 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

2 of 6

noun (2)

1
: an object of abuse or ridicule : victim
the butt of all their jokes
2
a
: 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
3
a
archaic : goal
here is my journey's end, here is my buttWilliam Shakespeare
b
obsolete : limit, bound

butt

3 of 6

verb (1)

butted; butting; butts

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

4 of 6

noun (3)

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

butt

5 of 6

verb (2)

butted; butting; butts

intransitive verb

: abut
used with on or against
where the floorboards butt against each other
The 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

6 of 6

noun (4)

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)
Phrases
butt heads
: to come into conflict

Examples of butt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In other words: these vertebrate worms feed their offspring with milk from their butts. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Brazilian butt lifts evolved from a derriere-lift surgery pioneered in the mid-1960s. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024 To another, it’s ripped stockings, bare butts and bikini bottoms. Leah Dolan, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The bodysuit has hook and eye closures on the crotch, lace detailing on the butt for a smooth, no-show look under clothing, and adjustable straps to improve the fit. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 After more than three decades of maturation, a few 1991 vintage single malts were selected and put into an Oloroso sherry butt to finish. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 Tan also noted that the show never makes a child the butt of any joke. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Who is actually the butt of this joke—Gillis, Dominicans, racist white people with their stupid haircuts? TIME, 23 Feb. 2024 Prominent anti-vaxxer and misinformation disseminator Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been the butt of many late-night jokes since announcing his bid for the presidency last spring. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
This beautiful coming of age story focuses on 13-year-old Mei Lee (Chiang) going through all the normal turmoil of puberty—butting heads with her mom (Oh), emotional roller coasters, drama with friends . . . Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 Feb. 2024 The lead prosecutor and defense lawyer got into a heated argument over the mom's meltdown, and butted heads the rest of the day. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024 At a recent game earlier this season, a rival executive when asked what was happening with the Bucks bumped his fists together and said players and coach were butting heads. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 Cassilly and Penman had previously butted heads over Penman’s employment with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024 Best for use where: The cooling formulation works best on the thighs, stomach, and butt, where it should be applied daily. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2024 While Duke has butted heads with the state’s solar industry in recent years over the pace, technical requirements and locations of new solar farms, the rebate program finds both on the same side. Bruce Henderson, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 But this is far from the first issue that Staten and Davis have butted heads over. Breanna Bell, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024 Greene couldn’t resist the gig with the biggest star in America at the time, but the two big personalities butted heads frequently, and the relationship ended with the comic taking a beating from the singer’s cronies at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'butt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2d

Verb (1)

1579, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (3)

1642, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1634, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (4)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of butt was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near butt

Cite this Entry

“Butt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

butt

1 of 4 verb
: to strike or thrust with the head or horns

butt

2 of 4 noun
: a blow or thrust with the head or horns

butt

3 of 4 noun
: a person who is treated badly or is made fun of
the butt of a joke

butt

4 of 4 noun
1
: buttock sense 2a
often used in idiomatic expressions
saved our butts
get your butt over here
2
: the thicker or bottom end of something
the butt of a rifle
3
: an unused remainder
a cigarette butt
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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