plural butts
1
: buttocks
slipped and fell on his butt
—often used as a euphemism for ass in idiomatic expressionsGet 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
butted; butting; butts
: to strike or shove with the head or horns
got butted by a goat
butting their horns together
: to thrust or push headfirst : strike with the head or horns
: a blow or thrust usually with the head or horns
a head butt to the ribs
butted; butting; butts
: abut
—used with on or against
where the floorboards butt against each other
The apartment building butts up against an old church.
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)
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)
Examples of butt in a Sentence
Noun (1)
park your butts in the seats and keep quiet, or I'm turning this car around
Noun (3)
the social outcast got tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes
usually the U.S. Congress is the butt of the radio commentator's scathing wit
Verb (2)
our property butts on a swamp
Noun (4)
a butt of hard cider that we had pressed ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Ultra, super-long hair that cascades to your waist (or butt—no one is stopping you).
—Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Dec. 2025
Kate Perez, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
First-time claims have remained fairly stable while continuing claims (those filed by people who have received a week or more in jobless benefits) have been butting up against four-year highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for butt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Yes, many of his looks were wacky and tacky, like cocktail dresses that were tucked into underwear to reveal models’ butts, or nipple-baring too-tight tank tops with ab-revealing low-slung sleeve holes.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
Ultra, super-long hair that cascades to your waist (or butt—no one is stopping you).
—Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Publix launched a new campaign last month aimed at properly celebrating those with birthdays butting up against the end-of-year holidays.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
First-time claims have remained fairly stable while continuing claims (those filed by people who have received a week or more in jobless benefits) have been butting up against four-year highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for butt
Cite this Entry
“Butt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butt. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: 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
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