Word Confusion: But versus Butt

Plural for the noun: buts

Plural for the noun: butts
Gerund: butting

Third person present verb: butts
Past tense or past participle: butted
Present participle: butting

Only

Conjunction:
Introduces a contrast to something already mentioned ¹

• Nevertheless
• However
• On the contrary
• In contrast

[With negative or in questions] Used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated

Used to introduce a response expressing a feeling such as surprise or anger

Used after an expression of apology for what one is about to say

[Archaic; with negative] Without its being the case that

Noun:
Argument against something ¹

Objection

[Scottish] An outer room, especially in a two-roomed cottage ²

Preposition:
Except ¹

Apart from

Other than

Used with repetition of certain words to give emphasis

Person or thing at which, usually, unkind humor or criticism is directed ²

[Usually butts] Archery or shooting target or range

Blind for shooting birds

[Obsolete] Limit, bound

[Archaic] Goal

Thicker end of a tool or rifle ³

Stub of a cigar or cigarette

[Also butt end] The large or thicker end part of something

• Lean upper cut of the pork shoulder
• Base of a plant from which the roots spring
• Thicker or handle end of a tool or weapon

Part of a hide or skin corresponding to the animal’s back and sides

[Informal; chiefly North American] Buttocks

Trunk of a tree, specifically the part just above the ground

Cask typically used for wine, ale, or water ⁴

Verb, intransitive:
To thrust or push headfirst ¹

• Strike with the head or horns

Verb, transitive:
To strike or shove with the head or horns ¹

To come into conflict

Adjoin or meet end to end ³

• Join pieces of stone, lumber, and other building materials with the ends or sides flat against each other

There were a variety of nougats, creme-filled, and nuts, to name but a few.

Conjunction:
It never rains, but it pours.

She was cute, but a handful.

I wanted to go to the movies, but Mom expected me to babysit.

He stumbled but didn’t fall.

This is one principle, but it is not the only one.

It was nothing they could do but swallow their pride.

One cannot but sympathize with your loss.

But why?

I’m sorry, but I can’t pay you.

Noun:
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

No, I don’t want to hear any buts.

We lived but and ben with them.

Preposition:
Nobody, but nobody was going to stop her.

We were never anything but poor.

It was the last but one.

He is the butt of the joke.

Who’s leaving all these cigarette butts around?

He hit him with the butt end.

Whoa, nice butt!

We need a butt of wine for this party.

You should use a butt joint on that.

We’re headed out to the butts to practice.

“Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt” (Shakespeare).

Verb, intransitive:
The goat butted him in the head.

The driveway butted up against the house.

Verb, transitive:
The floorboards will be butted up against each other to make tight seams.

I used butt joints to assemble the box.

Those two are always butting heads.

1. Old English be-ūtan, būtan, būta meaning outside, without, except.
2. Early 18th century, originally from 1 in the early sense of outside, but more specifically into the outer part of a house.

1. The first known use was in the 13th century.

   Middle English from the Old French boter, buter and is of Germanic origin. It’s also akin to the Old High German bōzan meaning to beat.

2. The first known use was in the 14th century.

   Middle English from the Old French but is of unknown origin, but was perhaps influenced by the French butte meaning rising ground.

3. The first known use was in the 15th century.

   Late Middle English is probably akin to the Middle English buttok meaning buttock and the Low German butt meaning blunt.

   • The noun is apparently related to the Dutch bot meaning stumpy, also buttock.
   • The verb is partly from 2, reinforced by abut.
4. The first known use was in the 14th century.

   Late Middle English from the Old French bot, from the late Latin buttis.