Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)

Page 197

Butter

But"ter (?), n. [OE. botere, butter, AS. butere, fr. L. butyrum, Gr. ; either fr. ox, cow + cheese; or, perhaps, of Scythian origin. Cf. Cow.]

1. An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.

2. Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chloridess, as butter of antimony, sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, as butter of cacao, vegetable butter, shea butter. Butter and eggs (Bot.), a name given to several plants having flowers of two shades of yellow, as Narcissus incomparabilis, and in the United States to the toadflax (Linaria vulgaris). -- Butter boat, a small vessel for holding melted butter at table. -- Butter flower, the buttercup, a yellow flower. -- Butter print, a piece of carved wood used to mark pats of butter; -- called also butter stamp. Locke. -- Butter tooth, either of the two middle incisors of the upper jaw. -- Butter tree (Bot.), a tree of the genus Bassia, the seeds of which yield a substance closely resembling butter. The butter tree of India is the B. butyracea; that of Africa is the Shea tree (B. Parkii). See Shea tree. -- Butter trier, a tool used in sampling butter. -- Butter wife, a woman who makes or sells butter; -- called also butter woman. [Obs. or Archaic]

Butter

But"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttered (); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttering.]

1. To cover or spread with butter.

I know what's what. I know on which side My bread is buttered. Ford.

2. To increase, as stakes, at every throw or every game. [Cant] Johnson.

Butter

Butt"er (?), n. One who, or that which, butts.

Butterball

But"ter*ball` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The buffel duck.

Butterbird

But"ter*bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The rice bunting or bobolink; -- so called in the island of Jamaica.

Butterbump

But"ter*bump` (?), n. [OE. buttur the bittern + 5th bump.] (Zoöl.) The European bittern. Johnson.

Butterbur

But"ter*bur` (?), n. (Bot.) A broad-leaved plant (Petasites vulgaris) of the Composite family, said to have been used in England for wrapping up pats of butter.

Buttercup

But"ter*cup` (?), n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Ranunculus, or crowfoot, particularly R. bulbosus, with bright yellow flowers; -- called also butterflower, golden cup, and kingcup. It is the cuckoobud of Shakespeare.

Butter-fingered

But"ter-fin`gered (?), a. Apt to let things fall, or to let them slip away; slippery; careless.

Butterfish

But"ter*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A name given to several different fishes, in allusion to their slippery coating of mucus, as the Stromateus triacanthus of the Atlantic coast, the Epinephelus punctatus of the southern coast, the rock eel, and the kelpfish of New Zealand.

Butterfly

But"ter*fly` (?), n.; pl. Butterflies (#). [Perh. from the color of a yellow species. AS. buter-flēge, buttor-fleóge; cf. G. butterfliege, D. botervlieg. See Butter, and Fly.] (Zoöl.) A general name for the numerous species of diurnal Lepidoptera. [See Illust. under Aphrodite.] Asclepias butterfly. See under Asclepias. -- Butterfly fish (Zoöl.), the ocellated blenny (Blennius ocellaris) of Europe. See Blenny. The term is also applied to the flying gurnard. -- Butterfly shell (Zoöl.), a shell of the genus Voluta. -- Butterfly valve (Mech.), a kind of double clack valve, consisting of two semicircular clappers or wings hinged to a cross rib in the pump bucket. When open it somewhat resembles a butterfly in shape.

Butterine

But"ter*ine (?), n. A substance prepared from animal fat with some other ingredients intermixed, as an imitation of butter.

The manufacturers ship large quantities of oleomargarine to England, Holland, and other countries, to be manufactured into butter, which is sold as butterine or suine. Johnson's Cyc.

Butteris

But"ter*is (?), n. [The same word as buttress, noun, in a different application, F. bouter to push.] (Far.) A steel cutting instrument, with a long bent shank set in a handle which rests against the shoulder of the operator. It is operated by a thrust movement, and used in paring the hoofs of horses.

Butterman

But"ter*man` (?), n.; pl. Buttermen (). A man who makes or sells butter.

Buttermilk

But"ter*milk` (?), n. The milk that remains after the butter is separated from the cream.

Butternut

But"ter*nut` (?), n.

1. (Bot.) An American tree (Juglans cinerea) of the Walnut family, and its edible fruit; -- so called from the oil contained in the latter. Sometimes called oil nut and white walnut.

2. (Bot.) The nut of the Caryocar butyrosum and C. nuciferum, of S. America; -- called also Souari nut.

Butter-scotch

But"ter-scotch` (?), n. A kind of candy, mainly composed of sugar and butter. [Colloq.] Dickens.

Butterweed

But"ter*weed` (?), n. (Bot.) An annual composite plant of the Mississippi valley (Senecio lobatus).

Butterweight

But"ter*weight` (?), n. Over weight. Swift. &hand; Formerly it was a custom to give 18 ounces of butter for a pound.

Butterwort

But"ter*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A genus of low herbs (Pinguicula) having simple leaves which secrete from their glandular upper surface a viscid fluid, to which insects adhere, after which the margin infolds and the insects are digested by the plant. The species are found mostly in the North Temperate zone.

Buttery

But"ter*y (?), a. Having the qualities, consistence, or appearance, of butter.

Buttery

But"ter*y, n.; pl. Buttplwies (). [OE. botery, botry; cf. LL. botaria wine vessel; also OE. botelerie, fr. F. bouteillerie, fr. boutellie bottle. Not derived from butter. See Bottle a hollow vessel, Butt a cask.]

1. An apartment in a house where butter, milk and other provisions are kept.

All that need a cool and fresh temper, as cellars, pantries, and butteries, to the north. Sir H. Wotton.

2. A room in some English colleges where liquors, fruit, and refreshments are kept for sale to the students.

And the major Oxford kept the buttery bar. E. Hall.

3. A cellar in which butts of wine are kept. Weale. Buttery hatch, a half door between the buttery or kitchen and the hall, in old mansions, over which provisions were passed. Wright.

Butt hinge

Butt" hinge` (?). See 1st Butt, 10.

But-thorn

But"-thorn` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The common European starfish (Asterias rubens).

Butting

But"ting (?), n. An abuttal; a boundary.

Without buttings or boundings on any side. Bp. Beveridge.

Butting joint

But"ting joint`. A joint between two pieces of timber or wood, at the end of one or both, and either at right angles or oblique to the grain, as the joints which the struts and braces form with the truss posts; -- sometimes called abutting joint.

Butt joint

Butt" joint` (?). A joint in which the edges or ends of the pieces united come squarely together instead of overlapping. See 1st Butt, 8.

Buttock

But"tock (?), n. [From Butt an end.]

1. The part at the back of the hip, which, in man, forms one of the rounded protuberances on which he sits; the rump.

2. (Naut.) The convexity of a ship behind, under the stern. Mar. Dict.

Button

But"ton (?), n. [OE. boton, botoun, F. bouton button, bud, prop. something pushing out, fr. bouter to push. See Butt an end.]

1. A knob; a small ball; a small, roundish mass.

2. A catch, of various forms and materials, used to fasten together the different parts of dress, by being attached to one part, and passing through a slit, called a buttonhole, in the other; -- used also for ornament.

3. A bud; a germ of a plant. Shak.

4. A piece of wood or metal, usually flat and elongated, turning on a nail or screw, to fasten something, as a door.

5. A globule of metal remaining onan assay cupel or in a crucible, after fusion. Button hook, a hook for catching a button and drawing it through a buttonhole, as in buttoning boots and gloves. -- Button shell (Zoöl.), a small, univalve marine shell of the genus Rotella. -- Button snakeroot. (Bot.) (a) The American composite genus Liatris, having rounded buttonlike heads of flowers. (b) An American umbelliferous plant with rigid, narrow leaves, and flowers in dense heads. -- Button tree (Bot.), a genus of trees (Conocarpus), furnishing durable timber, mostly natives of the West Indies. -- To hold by the button, to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; to buttonhole.

Button

But"ton, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttoned (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttoning (#).] [OE. botonen, OF. botoner, F. boutonner. See Button, n.]
1. To fasten with a button or buttons; to inclose or make secure with buttons; -- often followed by up.

He was a tall, fat, long-bodied man, buttoned up to the throat in a tight green coat. Dickens.

2. To dress or clothe. [Obs.] Shak.

Button

But"ton, v. i. To be fastened by a button or buttons; as, the coat will not button.

Buttonball

But"ton*ball` (?), n. (Bot.) See Buttonwood.

Buttonbush

But"ton*bush` (?), n. (Bot.) A shrub (Cephalanthus occidentalis) growing by the waterside; -- so called from its globular head of flowers. See Capitulum.

Buttonhole

But"ton*hole` (?), n. The hole or loop in which a button is caught.

Buttonhole

But"ton*hole`, v. t. To hold at the button or buttonhole; to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; as, he buttonholed me a quarter of an hour.

Buttonmold

But"ton*mold` (?), n. A disk of bone, wood, or other material, which is made into a button by covering it with cloth. [Written also buttonmould.] Fossil buttonmolds, joints of encrinites. See Encrinite.

Buttons

But"tons (?), n. A boy servant, or page, -- in allusion to the buttons on his livry. [Colloq.] Dickens.

Buttonweed

But"ton*weed` (?), n. (Bot.) The name of several plants of the genera Spermacoce and Diodia, of the Madder family.

Buttonwood

But"ton*wood` (?), n. (Bot.) The Platanus occidentalis, or American plane tree, a large tree, producing rough balls, from which it is named; -- called also buttonball tree, and, in some parts of the United States, sycamore. The California buttonwood is P. racemosa.

Buttony

But"ton*y (?), a. Ornamented with a large number of buttons. The buttony boy." Thackeray. My coat so blue and buttony." W. S. Gilbert.

Buttress

But"tress (?), n. [OE. butrasse, boterace, fr. F. bouter to push; cf. OF. bouteret (nom. sing. and acc. pl. bouterez) buttress. See Butt an end, and cf. Butteris.]

1. (Arch.) A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry. &hand; When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a pier.

2. Anything which supports or strengthens. The ground pillar and buttress of the good old cause of nonconformity." South. Flying buttress. See Flying buttress.

Buttress

But"tress (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttressed (); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttressing.] To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly.

To set it upright again, and to prop and buttress it up for duration. Burke.

Butt shaft

Butt" shaft` (?) An arrow without a barb, for shooting at butts; an arrow. [Also but shaft.] Shak.

Butt weld

Butt" weld` (?). See Butt weld, under Butt.

Buttweld

Butt"weld`, v. t. To unite by a butt weld.

Butty

But"ty (?), n. (Mining) One who mines by contract, at so much per ton of coal or ore.

Butyl

Bu"tyl (?), n. [L. butyrum butter + -yl. See Butter.] (Chem.) A compound radical, regarded as butane, less one atom of hydrogen.

Butylene

Bu"ty*lene (?), n. [From Butyl.] (Chem.) Any one of three metameric hydrocarbons, C4H8, of the ethylene series. They are gaseous or easily liquefiable.

Butyraceous

Bu`ty*ra"ceous (?), a. [L. butyrum butter. See Butter.] Having the qualities of butter; resembling butter.

Butyrate

Bu"ty*rate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of butyric acid.

Butyric

Bu*tyr"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, butter. Butyric acid, C3H7.CO2H, an acid found in butter; an oily, limpid fluid, having the smell of rancid butter, and an acrid taste, with a sweetish aftertaste, like that of ether. There are two metameric butyric acids, called in distinction the normal- and iso-butyric acid. The normal butyric acid is the one common in rancid butter.
Butyrin
Bu"ty*rin (?), n. (Physiol. Chem.) A butyrate of glycerin; a fat contained in small quantity in milk, which helps to give to butter its peculiar flavor.
Butyrometer
Bu`ty*rom"e*ter (?), n. [L. butyrum butter + -meter.] An instrument for determining the amount of fatty matter or butter contained in a sample of milk.
Butyrone
Bu"ty*rone (?), n. [Butyric + -one.] (Chem.) A liquid ketone obtained by heating calcium butyrate.
Butyrous
Bu"ty*rous (?), a. Butyraceous.
Buxeous
Bux"e*ous (?), a. [L. buxeus, fr. buxus the box tree.] Belonging to the box tree.
Buxine
Bux"ine (?), n. (Chem.) An alkaloid obtained from the Buxus sempervirens, or common box tree. It is identical with bebeerine; -- called also buxina.
Buxom
Bux"om (?), a. [OE. buxum, boxom, buhsum, pliable, obedient, AS. bcsum, būhsum (akin to D. buigzaam blexible, G. biegsam); būgan to bow, bend + -sum, E. -some. See Bow to bend, and -some.]
1. Yielding; pliable or compliant; ready to obey; obedient; tractable; docile; meek; humble. [Obs.]
So wild a beast, so tame ytaught to be, And buxom to his bands, is joy to see. Spenser.

I submit myself unto this holy church of Christ, to be ever buxom and obedient to the ordinance of it. Foxe.

2. Having the characteristics of health, vigor, and comeliness, combined with a gay, lively manner; stout and rosy; jolly; frolicsome.
A daughter fair, So buxom, blithe, and debonair. Milton.

A parcel of buxom bonny dames, that were laughing, singing, dancing, and as merry as the day was long. Tatler.
-- Bux"om*ly, adv. -- Bux"om*ness, n.
Buy
Buy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bought (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Buying (#).] [OE. buggen, buggen, bien, AS. bycgan, akin to OS. buggean, Goth. bugjan.]
1. To acquire the ownership of (property) by giving an accepted price or consideration therefor, or by agreeing to do so; to acquire by the payment of a price or value; to purchase; -- opposed to sell.
Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou wilt sell thy necessaries. B. Franklin.

2. To acquire or procure by something given or done in exchange, literally or figuratively; to get, at a cost or sacrifice; to buy pleasure with pain.
Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Prov. xxiii. 23.
To buy again. See Againbuy. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To buy off. (a) To influence to compliance; to cause to bend or yield by some consideration; as, to buy off conscience. (b) To detach by a consideration given; as, to buy off one from a party. -- To buy out (a) To buy off, or detach from. Shak. (b) To purchase the share or shares of in a stock, fund, or partnership, by which the seller is separated from the company, and the purchaser takes his place; as, A buys out B. (c) To purchase the entire stock in trade and the good will of a business. -- To buy in, to purchase stock in any fund or partnership. -- To buy on credit, to purchase, on a promise, in fact or in law, to make payment at a future day. -- To buy the refusal (of anything), to give a consideration for the right of purchasing, at a fixed price, at a future time.
Buy
Buy, v. i. To negotiate or treat about a purchase.
I will buy with you, sell with you. Shak.

Buyer
Buy"er (?), n. One who buys; a purchaser.
Buz
Buz (?), v. & n. See Buzz. [Obs.]
Buzz
Buzz (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Buzzed (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Buzzing.] [An onomatopœia.] To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings. Hence: To utter a murmuring sound; to speak with a low, humming voice.
Like a wasp is buzzed, and stung him. Longfellow.

However these disturbers of our peace Buzz in the people's ears. Shak.

Buzz
Buzz, v. t.
1. To sound forth by buzzing. Shak.
2. To whisper; to communicate, as tales, in an under tone; to spread, as report, by whispers, or secretly.
I will buzz abroad such prophecies That Edward shall be fearful of his life. Shak.

3. To talk to incessantly or confidentially in a low humming voice. [Colloq.]
4. (Phonetics) To sound with a buzz". H. Sweet.
Buzz
Buzz, n.
1. A continuous, humming noise, as of bees; a confused murmur, as of general conversation in low tones, or of a general expression of surprise or approbation. The constant buzz of a fly." Macaulay.