butted
butted — verb
- buttedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- butteds3rd person singular
- butteding-ing form
- buttededpast simple
1. to push or strike someone or something by driving the forehead or horns against
to push or strike someone or something by driving the forehead or horns against them
The goat lowered its head and butted the fence until the gate swung open.
butt + object (physical force)
A young ram butted Oliver in the leg when he entered the pen.
The two rams stood facing each other and butted heads with a loud crack.
Wei's pet goat likes to butt the kitchen door every morning for food.
The calf playfully butted Nora's hand when she held out the bottle.
- pull
to move something toward yourself instead of pushing it away
文法句型
butt + object
用法筆記
Often used of animals (goats, rams, bulls); when applied to people, 'butt in' or 'butt heads' are more common phrasal forms.
常見錯誤
2. to lie next to a building or piece of land so that they share a border or touch
to lie next to a building or piece of land so that they share a border or touch each other
The new warehouse butts against the old stone wall of the church.
butt against + object (building)
The Park family's garden butts onto the park, so children often climb through the hedge.
butt onto + noun
The southern edge of the farm butts on a busy highway.
The parking lot butts against the back wall of the supermarket.
文法句型
butt against + noun
butt on + noun
用法筆記
Less common than the synonym 'abut'. Both are formal; 'butt' is slightly more common in British English for describing land or property boundaries.
3. to place two pieces of wood, metal, or other material so that their ends meet ti
to place two pieces of wood, metal, or other material so that their ends meet tightly without one overlapping the other
The carpenter butted the two boards together and nailed them in place.
butt + object + together
You need to butt the pipes end to end before welding them.
The pieces were butted against each other to form a perfectly flat surface.
Putri butted the two sections of the curtain rail together before hanging them.
- join
general term for connecting two pieces; does not specify end-to-end placement
- fit together
less technical; can describe assembling parts without the precision of 'butt'
- overlap
to place one piece partly over another instead of edge to edge
文法句型
butt + pieces together
用法筆記
Common in woodworking and construction in the compound noun 'butt joint' (a joint made by fixing two pieces end to end).
butted — noun
1. the short leftover piece from a finished cigarette after someone has smoked most
the short leftover piece from a finished cigarette after someone has smoked most of it
Theo stubbed his cigarette out and threw the butt into the bin.
butt = leftover part of a cigarette
There were cigarette butts scattered all over the pavement outside the bar.
collocation: cigarette butt
Clara picked up the cigarette butts from the garden before the guests arrived.
The cleaner swept dozens of butts out from under the bench.
A single cigarette butt can take years to break down in the soil.
- stub
more common in British English; can also refer to the unused end of a ticket or check
用法筆記
Usually appears in the compound 'cigarette butt'; 'butt' alone in this sense implies a cigarette end. Do not confuse with 'cigar butt' (the end of a cigar).
常見錯誤
2. a cigarette
a cigarette
Elena stepped outside to have a quick butt before the meeting started.
informal American usage
Omar asked the cashier for a pack of butts and a lighter.
Do you have a spare butt I could borrow? I left mine at home.
The old man pulled a crumpled butt from behind his ear and lit it.
用法筆記
Highly informal. Used mainly in spoken American English. 'Cigarette' or 'cig' are more widely understood across dialects.
3. either of the two round fleshy parts of the body on which a person sits
either of the two round fleshy parts of the body on which a person sits
The doctor told Kwame to get up off his butt and go for a walk.
informal register; 'off one's butt'
Nora slipped on the wet floor and landed right on her butt.
The toddler plopped down on his butt and refused to move.
Sit on your butt and stop fidgeting during the exam.
Ines fell backwards off the chair and hit her butt on the floor.
用法筆記
Considered informal or slightly crude. For polite or formal contexts use 'bottom', 'backside', or 'buttocks'. 'Butt' is less offensive than 'ass' but still casual.
常見錯誤
4. the thick rear part of a rifle, axe, or similar implement, which you grip or res
the thick rear part of a rifle, axe, or similar implement, which you grip or rest against your body
The soldier rested the butt of his rifle on the ground.
butt of a rifle
Diego gripped the axe firmly by the butt and swung it at the log.
The butt of the fishing rod has a rubber cap to stop it from slipping.
The old musket had a brass plate on the butt engraved with initials.
Hui used the butt of the hammer to tap the nail into the wall.
- tip
the pointed or narrow end of a tool or weapon
用法筆記
For rifles and similar firearms, 'butt' refers specifically to the stock end that contacts the shoulder. For tools like axes, it means the handle's thicker end.
5. a person or thing that other people regularly make jokes about or treat as the o
a person or thing that other people regularly make jokes about or treat as the object of their humour
The new student became the butt of everyone's jokes because of his unusual accent.
butt of + jokes / ridicule
Poor Arthur was the butt of his older brothers' pranks all summer.
The team's poor performance made them the butt of criticism from every sports writer.
Amara hated being the butt of office humour because of her loud ringtone.
In the show the clumsy assistant was always the butt of the clown's jokes.
- target
broader meaning; can refer to criticism or attack, not only humour
- victim
implies suffering or harm, not necessarily ridicule
- laughing stock
similar meaning but implies public mockery that damages reputation
文法句型
butt of + noun
用法筆記
Always appears in the construction 'the butt of [something]', where [something] is a type of humour or criticism: jokes, ridicule, pranks, satire, criticism.
常見錯誤
6. a large barrel that holds liquids such as ale, wine, or drinking water
a large barrel that holds liquids such as ale, wine, or drinking water
The winery stored the red wine in oak butts for two years before bottling.
butt = large wine cask
Each butt in the cellar held about four hundred litres of ale.
Workers rolled the heavy butts down the ramp into the storage cave.
The brewery ordered a dozen new oak butts for the winter ale.
用法筆記
An old-fashioned or specialist term. Most modern readers will not know this sense; 'barrel', 'cask', or 'vat' are far more common in everyday English.
7. the bottom section of a stem or trunk, located just above the roots
the bottom section of a stem or trunk, located just above the roots
Cut the stem at the butt, just above the soil line.
butt = lowest part of plant stem
The butt of the tree trunk showed signs of rot near the ground.
Farmers trimmed the butts of the sugarcane stalks before planting.
New shoots grew from the butt of the old tree after the fire.
- tip
the uppermost growing point of a plant stem
用法筆記
A technical term used mainly in agriculture, horticulture, and botany. In everyday gardening, 'base' or 'crown' are more common.
8. a target or backstop used for shooting practice with a gun, bow and arrow, or ot
a target or backstop used for shooting practice with a gun, bow and arrow, or other projectile weapon
The archers set up a fresh butt made of straw at the far end of the field.
butt = archery target
Soldiers marched to the firing range and placed their rifles on the butt.
Each arrow that missed the butt was collected from the grass behind it.
The club replaced the old wooden butts with foam targets for safety.
Stefan scored a perfect ten by hitting the centre of the butt three times.
用法筆記
Historically common in archery (a 'butt' was a mound of earth behind the target). In modern usage, 'target' or 'backstop' are far more common.