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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The game became the butt of jokes and a slew of memes for its hilarious visual glitches, a legacy that leaves Epler feeling torn. George Yang, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 While Josie and Saldaña's character, Joe, initially butt heads, the actresses share a friendly bond in real life. Jp Mangalindan, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
Johnny and Daniel are still butting heads, working together as senseis and sharing the same hotel room but refusing to be friendly. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024 That surge marked an unusual alliance between the two groups that have butted heads in the past. Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for butt 

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)

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (3)

1600, 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 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near butt

Cite this Entry

“Butt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butt. Accessed 29 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!