but

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See also: bút, bût, būt, Bụt, and but-

English[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“out of, outside of, off, round about, except, without, all but, but only, besides, in addition to, in spite of, except that, save, but, only, unless, save that, if only, provided that, outside”), equivalent to be- +‎ out. Cognate with Scots but, bot (“outside, without, but”), Saterland Frisian buute (“without”), West Frisian bûten (“outside of, apart from, other than, except, but”), Dutch buiten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”). Compare bin, about.

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

but

  1. (obsolete outside Scotland) Outside of.
    Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.
  2. Without, apart from, except.
    Everyone but Father left early.
    I like everything but that.

Adverb[edit]

but (not comparable)

  1. Merely, only.
    • 1791, Robert Burns, "Ae Fond Kiss":
      For to see her was to love her,
      Love but her, and love for ever.
    • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
      Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere.
    • 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York Review Books, 2006, p.49:
      The stony outcrops are often covered but thinly with arable soil; winters are bitingly cold, and rainfall scanty and unpredictable.
  2. (Australia, conjunctive) Though, however.
    • 1906, "Steele Rudd", Back At Our Selection, page 161:
      "Supposin' the chap ain't dead, but?" Regan persisted.
    I'll have to go home early but.

Conjunction[edit]

but

  1. Except (for), excluding. Often preceded by a negation.
    Nobody answered the door when I knocked, so I had no choice but to leave.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, London: A[ndrew] Millar, OCLC 928184292:
      In reality, I apprehend every amorous widow on the stage would run the hazard of being condemned as a servile imitation of Dido, but that happily very few of our play-house critics understand enough of Latin to read Virgil.
    • 2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1-0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
      Luiz struggled with the movement of Helguson in the box, as he collected a long ball and the Spaniard barged him over, leaving referee Chris Foy little option but to point to the spot.
  2. On the contrary, but rather (introducing a word or clause that contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence without the not).
    I am not rich but (I am) poor;  not John but Peter went there
  3. However, although, nevertheless (implies that the following clause is contrary to prior belief or contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence).
    She is very old but still attractive.
    You told me I could do that, but she said that I could not.
    • 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
      Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.  ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
    • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
      Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
  4. Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, "except one that", "except such that".
    • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821:
      , II.15:
      There is no reason but hath another contrary unto it, saith the wisest party of Philosophers.
    • Shakespeare
      And but my noble Moor is true of mind […] it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
    • 1820, John Keats, ‘Lamia’, Lamia & Other Poems:
      A deadly silence step by step increased, / Until it seem'd a horrid presence there, / And not a man but felt the terror in his hair.
    I cannot but feel offended.
  5. (archaic) Without its also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
    It never rains but it pours.
  6. (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without.
    • Fuller
      So insolent that he could not go but either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors.
    • Motto of the Mackintoshes
      Touch not the cat but a glove.
  7. (obsolete) Only; solely; merely.
    • Milton
      Observe but how their own principles combat one another.
    • Bible, 2 Kings vii. 4
      If they kill us, we shall but die.
    • Dryden
      a formidable man but to his friends
  8. (obsolete) until
    • Shakespeare, Macbeth
      'Tshall not be long but I'll be here again.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction such as but is considered incorrect by classical grammarians arguing that a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence has nothing to connect, but use of the word in this way is very common. It is, however, best to avoid beginning a sentence with but in formal writing. Combining sentences or using however, nevertheless, still, or though is appropriate for the formal style.
    • But this tool has its uses.
    • This tool has its uses, however.
    • Nevertheless, this tool has its uses.
    • Still, this tool has its uses.
    • This tool still has its uses.
    • This tool has its uses, though.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun[edit]

but (plural buts)

  1. An instance or example of using the word "but".
    It has to be done – no ifs or buts.
  2. (Scotland) The outer room of a small two-room cottage.
  3. A limit; a boundary.
  4. The end; especially the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end; the butt.

Verb[edit]

but (third-person singular simple present buts, present participle butting, simple past and past participle butted)

  1. (archaic) Use the word "but".
    But me no buts.

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from the preposition, adverb, conjunction, or noun but

Statistics[edit]

Most common English words before 1923 in Project Gutenberg: or · from · this · #29: but · all · him · she

Anagrams[edit]

Danish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Low German.

Adjective[edit]

but

  1. (rare) blunt

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of but
Positive Comparative Superlative
Common singular but — —2
Neuter singular but — —2
Plural butte — —2
Definite attributive1 butte — —
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *butą (“end, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰÀud- (“to beat, push”). The semantic development from "mound" to "target" is likely from martial training practice (see target). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”). More at butt.

Noun[edit]

but m (plural buts)

  1. aim
  2. goal (result one is attempting to achieve)
  3. (sports) goal (in the place, act, or point sense)
Synonyms[edit]
Related terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From boire.

Verb[edit]

but

  1. third-person singular past historic of boire

Further reading[edit]

Maltese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but m (plural bwiet)

  1. pocket

Polish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but m inan

  1. shoe
  2. boot

Declension[edit]

declension of but
singular plural
nominative but buty
genitive buta butów
dative butowi butom
accusative but buty
instrumental butem butami
locative bucie butach
vocative bucie buty

Romani[edit]

Adjective[edit]

but (comparative majbut, superlative legmajbut)

  1. many

Scots[edit]

Noun[edit]

but (plural buts)

  1. The outer room of a small two-room cottage.

Preposition[edit]

but

  1. Outside of, without.

Serbo-Croatian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowing from Ottoman Turkish [script needed] (but, bud) (Turkish but, bud).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

bȕt m (Cyrillic spelling бу̏т)

  1. thigh
  2. ham

Declension[edit]

Declension of but
singular plural
nominative bȕt bùtovi
genitive buta butova
dative butu butovima
accusative but butove
vocative bute butovi
locative butu butovima
instrumental butom butovima

References[edit]

  • “but” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Turkish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Turkic būt, from Proto-Turkic.

Noun[edit]

but (definite accusative butu, plural butlar)

  1. thigh

Synonyms[edit]

Volapük[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but (plural buts)

  1. boot

Declension[edit]

declension of but
singular plural
nominative but buts
genitive buta butas
dative bute butes
accusative buti butis
predicative butu butus
vocative o but! o buts!
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