butt
/bʌt/ (bre, ipa) · /bʌt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbət/ (ame, mw)
butt — noun
1. the small stub left over after someone has smoked a cigarette down to the filter
the small stub left over after someone has smoked a cigarette down to the filter, usually thrown away or stamped out.
Maya bent down and picked up a dozen cigarette butts from the beach.
collocation: cigarette butt
The ashtray on Carlos's desk was overflowing with old butts.
Please do not throw butts into the toilet at the campsite.
A single butt smouldered on the pavement outside the bar.
The cleaner swept up hundreds of butts from the train platform every morning.
文法句型
cigarette butt
用法筆記
Almost always countable and concrete; the fuller phrase 'cigarette butt' is more common in writing, while 'butt' alone is fine in speech once context is clear.
常見錯誤
2. an informal word for the soft part of the body that a person sits on, often used
an informal word for the soft part of the body that a person sits on, often used in casual speech, jokes, or sayings.
Marcus slipped on the wet floor and landed hard on his butt.
informal register: everyday speech
Lina yelled at the kids to get off their butts and help with the dishes.
idiomatic: 'get off your butt'
These jeans are too tight around the butt for me to wear all day.
The toddler patted his own butt and giggled at his grandmother.
用法筆記
Mainly American informal; in formal writing or polite conversation use 'bottom' or 'buttocks'. Frequently appears in fixed expressions such as 'kick someone's butt', 'get off your butt', and 'pain in the butt'.
常見錯誤
3. the wide, heavy rear part of a long firearm such as a rifle or shotgun, made to
the wide, heavy rear part of a long firearm such as a rifle or shotgun, made to be pressed against the shoulder while shooting.
The soldier braced the butt of his rifle firmly against his right shoulder.
pattern: the butt of [a/his/the] rifle
A guard struck the prisoner across the back with the butt of his weapon.
collocation: with the butt of
The wooden butt of the old hunting rifle was scratched and worn smooth.
The ranger propped the gun upright, resting the butt on the cabin floor.
- stock
the standard technical term for the wooden or plastic shoulder piece of a rifle
- shoulder stock
more specific; emphasises the part placed against the shoulder
文法句型
the butt of a rifle/gun
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of' plus a long firearm (rifle, shotgun, musket). Distinct from 'barrel' (the long tube the bullet travels through) and 'grip' (the part the hand wraps around on a pistol).
常見錯誤
4. someone who other people repeatedly tease, mock, or laugh at, often in a way tha
someone who other people repeatedly tease, mock, or laugh at, often in a way that feels unfair or hurtful.
Quiet new students sometimes become the butt of every classroom joke.
fixed pattern: the butt of [every] joke
Mr Patel was tired of being the butt of his colleagues' lazy jokes about his accent.
After the speech went viral, the minister became the butt of jokes on every late-night show.
Growing up tall and skinny, Jamal was always the butt of his cousins' teasing.
- target
wider scope; can apply to attacks or campaigns, not just jokes
- victim
stronger; suggests real harm, not just teasing
- laughingstock
stronger; means widely mocked rather than mocked by one group
文法句型
the butt of [jokes/ridicule/criticism]
用法筆記
Strongly fixed in the pattern 'the butt of + (jokes / ridicule / humour / criticism)'. Almost always preceded by 'the' and used with 'be' or 'become'. Implies the person is unwilling or undeserving of the mockery.
常見錯誤
5. a very large wooden barrel, traditionally used for storing wine, beer, or rainwa
a very large wooden barrel, traditionally used for storing wine, beer, or rainwater on farms and in old breweries.
Two oak butts of sherry stood at the back of the cool stone cellar.
collocation: butt of sherry/wine
The old farmhouse still has a rain butt under the kitchen drainpipe.
British compound: rain butt
Each butt held enough beer to last the village through the winter.
The brewer rolled an empty butt across the yard and tipped it onto its side.
用法筆記
Mostly historical or specialist (wine trade, brewing, gardening). The compound 'water butt' / 'rain butt' is still everyday British English for a garden water container.
常見錯誤
butt — verb
1. to drive your head, or in the case of an animal its horns, sharply forward into
to drive your head, or in the case of an animal its horns, sharply forward into a person or thing in order to push, attack, or get attention.
The angry goat lowered its head and butted Sofia in the leg.
transitive: butt + person + in + body part
Two young rams butted each other across the muddy field.
reciprocal: butt + each other
The hungry calf kept butting against the wooden gate of the pen.
Diego butted the striker in the chest and was sent off the pitch.
Our cat butts my hand whenever she wants to be stroked.
文法句型
butt + somebody/something
butt + against + something
用法筆記
The subject is usually a horned animal (goat, ram, bull) or a person using their forehead like a weapon. With 'against', the action is repeated or pushing rather than a single sharp blow.