butter
butter
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling for "butter":
/ˈbʌtər/
But-: /bʌt/
/b/ - voiced bilabial stop
/ʌ/ - near-open central vowel (as in "cup")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
-ter: /ər/ (or /tər/ in some pronunciations, with the /t/ often flapped or glottalized in American English)
/ər/ - r-colored vowel (schwa + r)
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: butter
Uncountable: butter (used as a mass noun)
Verb:
Base form: butter
Third-person singular present: butters
Present participle: buttering
Past tense: buttered
Past participle: buttered
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking.
Synonyms: margarine, shortening, ghee, spread
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a food substance; perhaps "oil" or "lard" if contrasting specific types of fats, but not true antonyms)
Definition 2: (Informal, often metaphorical) Something that provides financial gain or a source of income, especially when referring to basic necessities.
Example: "He's just trying to earn his butter by working two jobs."
Synonyms: livelihood, bread, sustenance, living, upkeep
Antonyms: deprivation, destitution, loss
Verb
Definition 1: To spread butter on (food).
Example: "Please butter the toast for me."
Synonyms: spread, coat, grease, smear
Antonyms: scrape off, remove, unspread
Definition 2: (Informal) To flatter someone excessively in order to gain favor; to soft-soap.
Example: "He tried to butter up his boss for a raise."
Synonyms: flatter, praise, fawn, sweet-talk, compliment (excessively)
Antonyms: insult, criticize, offend, disparage
Examples of Use
Books:
"He watched her with amusement as she painstakingly scraped a tiny bit of butter onto her dry toast, as if it were a precious commodity." (From The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende)
"We would eat fresh bread, still warm from the oven, with thick slabs of homemade butter melting into it." (From Educated by Tara Westover)
Newspapers:
"Rising dairy prices are putting a squeeze on consumers, with the cost of butter reaching new highs." (From The New York Times)
"Local chefs are experimenting with new infused butters to elevate their dishes, from truffle to chili-lime." (From The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"The debate over healthy fats continues, with some experts advocating for grass-fed butter as part of a balanced diet." (From Healthline.com)
"Our comprehensive guide to baking perfect croissants includes a crucial step-by-step on incorporating cold butter for flaky layers." (From Serious Eats)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Julie & Julia, Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) famously quips, "With enough butter, anything is good."
Music: The song "Dynamite" by BTS includes the lyric, "Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover."
Television (Cooking Show): "For this recipe, we'll start by melting two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a hot pan." (Heard on America's Test Kitchen, PBS, various episodes)
Social Media (Instagram caption): "Nothing beats warm sourdough bread with perfectly softened butter. Pure bliss! #butterlover #foodie"
Podcast: "In today's episode, we discuss the economics of dairy farming and how global demand impacts the price of butter." (From The Daily, The New York Times)
General Public Discourse:
"Could you pass the butter, please?" (Common request at a dinner table)
"My grandmother always said you can't have too much butter in mashed potatoes." (Anecdotal comment in conversation)
"I need to butter up my boss if I want that promotion." (Colloquialism in a work context)
10 Quotes Using Butter
"With enough butter, anything is good." (Julia Child)
"What's mind? No matter. What's matter? Never mind. What's butter? I'm sliding!" (George Carlin)
"I believe in butter. Butter is good for you." (Paula Deen)
"You can't have your cake and eat it too, but you can certainly have your butter and eat it too." (Unknown)
"A life without butter is not a life worth living." (Mireille Guiliano)
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." (George Bernard Shaw, though often paraphrased to include "especially butter")
"Smooth as butter, sweet as honey." (Traditional saying)
"My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. And then, maybe, butter." (Steve Jobs, apocryphal, but widely attributed)
"People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them. And then ask for more butter." (Unknown)
"If I had a choice between peace and quiet and a bag of butter popcorn, I'd probably choose the popcorn." (Carrie Fisher)
Etymology
The word "butter" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back to ancient times.
It comes to us through Old English "butere," which was borrowed from the Latin word "butyrum." The Latin word, in turn, came from the Greek word "boutyron" (βούτυρον). This Greek word is thought to be a combination of two smaller Greek words: "bous" (βοῦς), meaning "ox" or "cow," and "turos" (τυρός), meaning "cheese." So, if you break it down, "butter" literally meant "cow-cheese" in its earliest Greek form.
It's important to note that while the Greeks had this word, they didn't actually eat much butter. They were more into olive oil. Instead, they and the Romans mainly used butter as a medicine or an ointment for the skin. It was in the cooler climates of northern Europe that butter became a common food item, likely because it spoiled less quickly there.
The earliest known use of the word "butter" in English (as a noun referring to the fatty substance we eat) dates back to the Old English period (before 1150). It appeared in texts like "leechdoms" (old medical writings), prescribing butter as part of remedies, showing its early use for both medicinal and dietary purposes in England.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Butter
Bread and butter: The basic necessities of life; a person's main source of income or livelihood.
To butter someone up: To flatter someone excessively, usually to gain a favor.
Butterfingers: A clumsy person, especially one who often drops things.
As smooth as butter: Extremely smooth or easy.
To look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth: To appear innocent or demure, especially when one is not.
To butter both sides of one's bread: To get advantages from two opposing factions or sources.
Hot buttered toast: A comfort food; a simple pleasure.
Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth: She looks very sweet and innocent (often used sarcastically).
Life is just a bowl of butterbeans: A phrase suggesting life is easy and pleasant (though "butterbeans" are often substituted).
Hard as butter: (An less common, often humorous, phrase implying something is surprisingly soft when it should be hard).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of butter from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
