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Definition and meaning of English word "butter"

butter

/ˈbʌtər/

Meaning

Noun

A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow's milk).

Reviewed by the TheLernen language teamDefinition sourced from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How to use

In culinary contexts, butter is often used to describe a specific type of fat, whereas in everyday conversation, it can refer to any spreadable fat. For example, 'She spread butter on her toast' is a common phrase, but 'The chef added a pat of butter to the sauce' is more formal. Learners often confuse 'butter' with 'oil', but they have different textures and uses.

🇬🇧 English

butter

Example

I eat butter.

She spreads butter.

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Synonyms

a spreadable vegetable fatclarified butterpig fata solid fat used in bakinga general term for a spreadable fat

Common phrases

  • butter up— to flatter or try to win someone over
  • butter knife— a type of knife used for spreading butter
  • butterfly effect— a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of events
  • butterfly stroke— a swimming stroke
  • butterfly garden— a garden designed to attract butterflies

More Food & Drinks words

Frequency rank: #131 in English

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the English word "butter" mean?▼

The English word "butter" means "butter" in English.

How do you pronounce the English word "butter"?▼

You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "butter" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.

Can I see an example sentence with "butter"?▼

Yes, here is a practical example: "I eat butter." (which translates as "butter").

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