but

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

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has articles on:
Wikipedia

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside of, except, only”), 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”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), obsolete German baußen (“outside”), Luxembourgish baussen. Compare bin, about.

Eclipsed non-native Middle English mes (“but”) borrowed from Old French mes, mais (> French mais (“but”)).

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

but

  1. Apart from, except (for), excluding.
    Synonyms: barring, except for, save for; see also Thesaurus:except
    Everyone but Father left early.
    I like everything but that.
    Nobody answered the door when I knocked, so I had no choice but to leave.
    • 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. (obsolete outside Scotland) Outside of.
    Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.

Adverb[edit]

but (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly literary or poetic) Merely, only, just.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:merely
    Christmas comes but once a year.
  2. (Australia, Tyneside, conjunctive) Though, however.
    Synonyms: even so, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
    • 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.
  3. Used as an intensifier.
    Nobody, but nobody, crosses me and gets away with it.
    • 2013 Nora Roberts, Irish Thoroughbred p. 25 (Little, Brown) →ISBN
      "Jakers, but we worked." With a long breath she shut her eyes. "But it was too much for one woman and a half-grown girl […] "

Conjunction[edit]

but

  1. On the contrary, rather (as a regular adversative conjunction, introducing a word or clause in contrast or contradiction with the preceding negative clause or sentence).
    I am not rich but [I am] poor.  Not John but Peter went there.
  2. However, although, nevertheless, on the other hand (introducing a clause contrary to prior belief or in contrast with 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.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar […], OCLC 928184292, book X:
      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.
    • 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.
  3. 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".
    I cannot but feel offended.
  4. (archaic) Without its also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
    It never rains but it pours.
  5. (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without.
    • 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre
      So insolent that he could not go but either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors.
  6. (obsolete) Only; solely; merely.
  7. (obsolete) Until.
  8. (obsolete, following a negated expression of improbability) That. [16th–19th c.]
    • 1784, Joshua Reynolds, in John Ingamells, John Edgcumbe (eds.), The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale 2000, p. 131:
      It is not impossible but next year I may have the honour of waiting on your Lordship at St. Asaph, If I go to Ireland I certainly will go that way.
    • 1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt 2008, p. 132:
      “I am convinced, if you were to press this matter earnestly upon her, she would consent.”
      “It is not impossible but she might,” said Madame de Seidlits […] .
    • 1813, Journal of Natural Philosophy, July:
      It is not improbable but future observations will add Pliny's Well to the class of irregular reciprocators.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction such as but is considered incorrect by classical grammarians who claim that a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence has nothing to connect. The use of the word in this way is very common, however; and it may be argued that the connection is with the preceding context. Nevertheless, it is best to avoid beginning a sentence with but in formal writing. Combining sentences or using however, nevertheless, still, or though (which are adverbs rather than conjunctions) is more 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

References[edit]

  • but at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • but in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams[edit]

Danish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Low German butt.

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]
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From boire.

Verb[edit]

but

  1. third-person singular past historic of boire

Further reading[edit]

Indonesian[edit]

Noun[edit]

but (first-person possessive butku, second-person possessive butmu, third-person possessive butnya)

  1. (computing) bootstrap (process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory)

References[edit]

Maltese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but m (plural bwiet)

  1. pocket

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

but

  1. (Northern) Alternative form of bote (“boot”)

Polish[edit]

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology[edit]

From Old Czech bot, from Old French bot.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but m inan (diminutive bucik or butek, augmentative bucior or bucisko)

  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

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • but in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • but in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romani[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Sanskrit बहुत्व (bahutva, “much, many, very”). Cognate with Hindi बहुत (bahut).

Adjective[edit]

but (comparative majbut, superlative legmajbut)

  1. many
    But rroma mekhle i India thaj gele p-e aver phuva.
    Many Roma left India and went towards other lands.
  2. much
  3. very

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Ottoman Turkish بوت‎ (but)

Noun[edit]

but n (plural buturi)

  1. thigh of an animal

Declension[edit]

Declension of but
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) but butul (niște) buturi buturile
genitive/dative (unui) but butului (unor) buturi buturilor
vocative butule buturilor

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]

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بوت‎ (but)

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 Ottoman Turkish بود‎ (bud), بوت‎ (but), from Proto-Turkic. Compare Old Turkic [script needed] (būt).

Noun[edit]

but (definite accusative butu, plural butlar)

  1. thigh

Synonyms[edit]

Volapük[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

but (nominative plural buts)

  1. boot

Declension[edit]

declension of but
singular plural
nominative but buts
genitive buta butas
dative bute butes
accusative buti butis
vocative 1 o but! o buts!
predicative 2 butu butus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only

Westrobothnian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse bútr, likely in ablaut relation to Old Norse bauta, Old High German bōzan, Old English bēatan, English beat. Compare Jamtish búss, Norwegian butt, buss.

Pronunciation 1[edit]

Noun[edit]

but m (definite butn)

  1. A thick stick.
  2. A piece, clod, lump.
  3. In general that which is bulky and shapeless.
    En but dill kall
    a big and fat man
  4. A cumulus cloud.
Derived terms[edit]

Pronunciation 2[edit]

Verb[edit]

but

  1. To earth up potatoes with a certain kind of plough.
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