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to butter

to butter

61 1.0
To put a soft yellow spread on bread or toast
  • verb
  • /ˈbʌtər/
translation icon : untar (con mantequilla)
  • I asked for buttered toast.

Examples

  • Floyd wiped a plate off on his pant leg, then he buttered the toast using a clean knife.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • And so like I said, I'm going to lightly butter this bread.

  • I buttered it for you.

  • On Wednesday I go shopping and have buttered scones for tea.

  • And Antoinette always brought a buttered roll or another especially nice treat for it.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • "Wait till you taste this," she tells my father, buttering a slice of rye bread.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "How did you sleep?" Night inquired, buttering a slice of bread at the table with his index finger.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I will butter my toast before adding jelly on top.

  • He asked me to butter the bread evenly for the sandwiches.

  • To prepare the dish, first butter the surface of the baking pan.

Idioms

A funny phrase people say when they cannot believe something

A pointless attempt that is unlikely to work

A way someone earns money to live

To benefit from two people or groups at the same time by being dishonest

Seems very innocent and quiet but is not really kind

Fails to make a strong point because it is dull and weak

9.9

Something someone says that is not true

To give someone money or a job so they can live

Phrasal Verbs

to butter up
  • Informal
13 4.2

Say nice things to someone to get what you want

To make butter by shaking cream until it becomes solid

Compounds

148 1.0

A thick smooth or crunchy spread you make from ground roasted nuts for bread

bread and butter
  • Informal
16 3.0

The main way a person earns money

7 1.0

A small dull tool with a rounded blade for spreading butter

5 1.0

A small crisp cookie made with a lot of butter

3 3.1

A pale yellow fat from cocoa beans used to make chocolate and skin creams

3 2.1

A thick sweet spread from apples slowly cooked with sugar and spices until smooth

2 7.4

A container for making butter by stirring cream until butter forms

2 1.2

A small dish with a lid for keeping and serving butter at the table

2 2.9

Melted butter cooked until it turns brown and tastes nutty

Butter mixed with garlic that you put on bread or use in cooking

1 2.8

An issue that affects people's money or daily living costs

A clear cooking fat made by melting butter and removing water and solid bits of milk

1 2.7

A smooth spread made from crushed nuts

1 3.4

A soft cream-like fat made from the nut of an African tree used on skin and in cooking

1 2.0

A plant that makes large flat beans people cook and eat

1 6.3

Melted butter with the solid parts of milk removed that is used as a sauce for seafood

1 3.4

A thick cream used on the skin to make it soft and less dry

A spread made from peanuts with small pieces that add crunch

1 2.9

A sauce of browned butter with lemon juice and parsley for fish or vegetables

yak butter
  • Indian
1 7.4

A type of butter made from yak milk used in Tibetan and Himalayan cooking

Bercy butter
  • Specialized
8.1

A flavored butter mixed with shallots, parsley and white wine to top grilled meat or fish

A sweet thin slice of cucumber kept in vinegar, sugar, and onion

A bush that grows small flat beans you can eat, often served as a vegetable

butter-box
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who praises others to get their approval

A small wild flower with bright yellow shiny petals

9.5

An annual plant with grey-green leaves and bright yellow flowers that grows in dry sunny places

A plant from Europe with bright yellow and orange flowers often seen as a weed

bull butter
  • Archaic
9.9

Talk that is not true and that people do not believe

Colbert butter
  • Specialized
9.9

A flavored butter made with parsley, tarragon, and beef extract served on meat

A spread made from butter and mashed anchovies

A type of butter that chefs mix with chopped lobster or lobster flavor to spread on food

meuniere butter
  • Specialized
8.8

Butter browned and flavored with lemon and parsley served over fish or vegetables

Soft butter mixed with small pieces of onion used to add flavor to food

A soft spread of mashed red peppers mixed into butter

7.6

A cheap substitute for butter like margarine or peanut butter

Butter mixed with small pieces of shrimp and used as a spread or in cooking

Flavored butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley used to cook snails

9.9

Ordinary talk that is simple and not deep

A yellow jelly fungus that grows on rotting wood and looks like lumps of butter

How Thick

to slather
  • Informal
15 6.9
to butter
61 1.0
to spread
664 1.6
to smear
63 3.7
to dab
11 2.8

Surface Forms

butter infinitive
buttered past
buttered past participle
buttering present participle
butters third person singular

Etymology

Butter as a verb comes from the noun butter, which originally came from Greek parts bout- 'cow' and tyron 'cheese'. So to butter something simply means to spread that creamy milk fat on food.