butter cookie

noun

plural butter cookies

: a somewhat crisp cookie having a high ratio of butter to flour and sugar

These simple butter cookies will remind you of the ones Grandma always had at the ready in a circular tin can.

—Melissa Terrell

Butter cookies have more flour and sugar than shortbread. That means that the cookies will hold their shape better than shortbread, which leans toward the crumblier side.

—Jennifer Billock

I bit into a slightly sweet, crisp butter cookie with a hint of cinnamon.

—Jan D'Atri

… looked forward to the … tins of butter cookies that popped up around the holidays.

—Susan Puckett

compare sugar cookie

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above