Added 2 October 2026
butter
/ˈbʌtəɹ/ noun
In Latin: būtȳrum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about butter at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow's milk).
-
Any of various foodstuffs made from other foods or oils, similar in consistency to, eaten like or intended as a substitute for butter (preceded by the name of the food used to make it).
peanut butter
- Any of various substances made from other (especially plant-based) oils or fats, used in moisturizers, cosmetics, etc.
verb
-
To spread butter on.
Butter the toast.
- To move one's weight backwards or forwards onto the tips or tails of one's skis or snowboard so only the tip or tail is in contact with the snow. Similar to applying butter to bread with the end of a knife. To spin on skis or a snowboard using only the tips or tails being in contact with the snow
- To spin on skis or a snowboard using only the tips or tails being in contact with the snow
noun
Origin
PIE word *gʷṓws Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws Proto-Hellenic *gʷous Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs) Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *tuh₂rós Proto-Hellenic *tūrós Ancient Greek τυρός (turós) Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron)bor. Latin būtȳrumbor. Proto-West Germanic *buterā Old English butere Middle English buter English butter From Middle English buter, butter, from Old English butere, from Proto-West Germanic *buterā, from Latin būtȳrum, from Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron, “cow cheese”), compound of βοῦς (boûs, “ox, cow”) and τῡρός (tūrós, “cheese”). Cognate with Dutch boter and German Butter.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)