the end or extremity of anything, especially the thicker, larger, or blunt end considered as a bottom, base, support, or handle, as of a log, fishing rod, or pistol.
an end that is not used or consumed; remnant.
a cigar butt.
a lean cut of pork shoulder.
Slang. the buttocks.
Slang. a cigarette.
a person or thing that is an object of wit, ridicule, sarcasm, contempt, etc.
a target.
(on a rifle range)
a wall of earth located behind the targets to prevent bullets from scattering over a large area.
butts, a wall behind which targets can be safely lowered, scored, and raised during firing practice.
Obsolete. a goal; limit.
to position or fasten an end (of something).
to place or join the ends (of two things) together; set end-to-end.
to strike or push something or at something with the head or horns.
to project.
Machinery. (of wheels in a gear train) to strike one another instead of meshing.
butt out to stop meddling in the affairs or intruding in the conversation of others.
I tried to talk some sense into him and was told to butt out.
butt in to meddle in the affairs or intrude in the conversation of others; interfere.
It was none of his concern, so he didn't butt in.
a large cask for wine, beer, or ale.
any cask or barrel.
any of various units of capacity, usually considered equal to two hogsheads.
a person or thing that is the target of ridicule, wit, etc
shooting archery
a mound of earth behind the target on a target range that stops bullets or wide shots
the target itself
(plural) the target range
a low barrier, usually of sods or peat, behind which sportsmen shoot game birds, esp grouse
archaic goal; aim
the thicker or blunt end of something, such as the end of the stock of a rifle
the unused end of something, esp of a cigarette; stub
tanning the portion of a hide covering the lower backside of the animal
informal the buttocks
a slang word for cigarette
building trades short for butt joint butt hinge
to strike or push (something) with the head or horns
(intr) to project; jut
(intr; foll by in or into) to intrude, esp into a conversation; interfere; meddle
informal to stop interfering or meddling
a large cask, esp one with a capacity of two hogsheads, for storing wine or beer
a US unit of liquid measure equal to 126 US gallons
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bott “(thick) end, buttock,” Old English butt “tree stump” (in placenames); akin to Swedish but “stump,” Danish but “stubby”; further origin uncertain; cf. buttock
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French but “target, goal,” probably ultimately from Old Norse bútr “stump, log” (from the use of a wooden block or stump as a target in archery, etc.); cf. butt 1, butte ( def. )
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English butten, bouten, from Anglo-French buter, butter, Old French bouter, buter “to thrust, strike,” from Germanic; compare Old Norse bauta “to strike,” Middle Dutch botten “to strike, sprout”; cf. beat ( def. )
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English but(t)e, bot(t), from Anglo-French bo(u)t(e); Middle French, from Old Provençal bota, from Late Latin butta, buttis, akin to Greek boût(t)is “vessel in the shape of a frustum of a cone” (of pre-Greek origin)
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English but(te), botte; cognate with Swedish butta “turbot,” German Butt “brill, turbot, flounder,” Dutch bot “flounder”
Your butt is your buttocks, your tush, your rear end. Saying butt is more childish than offensive. Butt is a four-letter word, though using it won't get you in much trouble — It's much less offensive than ass. It also has plenty of other meanings, like butting into a conversation (interrupting it) or the butt of a gun (the thick end). If you make fun of someone, they are the butt of your jokes. The used end of a cigarette is called a butt, too. But you'll hear it more often in phrases like "Get your butt in here!"
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In fact, they responded with the sudden ferocity of a Zinédine Zidane head butt to the chest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Adam Hamawy’s campaign headquarters is in a suburban New Jersey office center, down the hall from Princeton Plastic Surgeons, his practice that offers everything from eyelid surgery to Brazilian butt lifts.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
The papers were filled with details of high-profile affairs he had while he was in a relationship with Dell’Olio and his love life was often the butt of jokes.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
In practice, this means “exercises that build your butt while minimizing growth in the quads, hamstrings and thighs.”
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
And what a royal pain in the butt it is having her in our tiny apartment.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Equinox says male bookings of its “Best Butt Ever” class have increased 17% since 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
“It was interesting watching the traders from a human perspective,” says Hamzah Parvez Butt, one of the commentators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
The 51-year-old explained his post on the The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast on Monday alongside former Reds players Wes Brown and Nicky Butt, saying he has spoken to Carrick about the issue.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
Between them, Ryan Giggs, Scholes, David Beckham, Butt and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, made 3,448 appearances for the club.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026
“Then I mustn’t be doing my job. Squat. Give me twenty. Butt out, back straight.”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Taylor Swift fans have paid $25 for pieces of trash -- including cigarette butts and an ovulation test kit -- collected near the US pop queen's wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
These included the Sarimukti Landfill in Bandung Regency, which torched dozens of hectares of land, and was suspected of having been caused by cigarette butts and a buildup of methane gas.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“I had firefighters work Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I talked to my incident commander, and he goes, ‘Chief, these guys are getting their butts kicked.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
“He’s proud of the fact that their house is the site of every playdate, that he butts heads with his toddler, that he stalks the halls as ‘Papa T-rex.’”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
All anybody’s talking about is how we’re going to be up to our butts in paper links thanks to a kid named Link.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.