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Webster 1913 Edition

But

But

(bŭt)
,
p
rep.
,
adv.
& c
onj.
[OE.
bute
,
buten
, AS.
būtan
, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref.
be-
+
ūtan
outward, without, fr.
ūt
out. Primarily,
būtan
, as well as
ūt
, is an adverb. √198. See
By
,
Out
; cf.
About
.]
1.
Except with; unless with; without.
[Obs.]
So insolent that he could not go
but
either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors.
Fuller.
Touch not the cat
but
a glove.
Motto of the Mackintoshes.
2.
Except; besides; save.
Who can it be, ye gods!
but
perjured Lycon?
E. Smith.
☞ In this sense, but is often used with other particles; as, but for, without, had it not been for. “Uncreated but for love divine.”
Young.
3.
Excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; – elliptical, for but that.
And
but
my noble Moor is true of mind . . . it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
Shakespeare
4.
Otherwise than that; that not; – commonly, after a negative, with that.
It cannot be
but
nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways.
Hooker.
There is no question
but
the king of Spain will reform most of the abuses.
Addison.
5.
Only; solely; merely.
Observe
but
how their own principles combat one another.
Milton.
If they kill us, we shall
but
die.
2 Kings vii. 4.
A formidable man
but
to his friends.
Dryden.
6.
On the contrary; on the other hand; only; yet; still; however; nevertheless; more; further; – as connective of sentences or clauses of a sentence, in a sense more or less exceptive or adversative;
as, the House of Representatives passed the bill,
but
the Senate dissented; our wants are many,
but
quite of another kind
.
Now abideth faith hope, charity, these three;
but
the greatest of these is charity.
1 Cor. xiii. 13.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame;
but
with the lowly is wisdom.
Prov. xi. 2.
All but
.
See under
All
.
–
But and if
,
but if; an attempt on the part of King James’s translators of the Bible to express the conjunctive and adversative force of the Greek [GREEK].
But and if
that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; . . . the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him.
Luke xii. 45, 46.
But if
,
unless.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

But this I read, that
but if
remedy
Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see.
Spenser.
Syn. –
But
,
However
,
Still
.
These conjunctions mark opposition in passing from one thought or topic to another. But marks the opposition with a medium degree of strength;
as, this is not winter,
but
it is almost as cold; he requested my assistance, but I shall not aid him at present
. However is weaker, and throws the opposition (as it were) into the background;
as, this is not winter; it is,
however
, almost as cold; he required my assistance; at present,
however
, I shall not afford him aid. The plan,
however
, is still under consideration, and may yet be adopted.
Still is stronger than but, and marks the opposition more emphatically;
as, your arguments are weighty;
still
they do not convince me.
See
Except
,
However
.
☞ “The chief error with but is to use it where and is enough; an error springing from the tendency to use strong words without sufficient occasion.”
Bain.

But

,
Noun.
[Cf.
But
,
p
rep.
,
adv.
& c
onj.
]
The outer apartment or kitchen of a two-roomed house; – opposed to
ben
, the inner room.
[Scot.]

But

,
Noun.
[See 1st
But
.]
1.
A limit; a boundary.
But end
,
the larger or thicker end;
as, the
but end
of a log; the
but end
of a musket.
See
Butt
,
Noun.

But

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Butted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Butting
.]
See
Butt
,
Verb.
, and
Abut
,
Verb.
{

Butt

,

But

}
,
Noun.
[F.
but
butt, aim (cf.
butte
knoll), or
bout
, OF.
bot
, end, extremity, fr.
boter
,
buter
, to push, butt, strike, F.
bouter
; of German origin; cf. OHG.
bōzan
, akin to E.
beat
. See
Beat
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
A limit; a bound; a goal; the extreme bound; the end.
Here is my journey's end, here my
butt

And very sea mark of my utmost sail.
Shakespeare
☞ As applied to land, the word is nearly synonymous with mete, and signifies properly the end line or boundary; the abuttal.
3.
A mark to be shot at; a target.
Sir W. Scott.
The groom his fellow groom at
butts
defies,
And bends his bow, and levels with his eyes.
Dryden.
4.
A person at whom ridicule, jest, or contempt is directed;
as, the
butt
of the company
.
I played a sentence or two at my
butt
, which I thought very smart.
Addison.
5.
A push, thrust, or sudden blow, given by the head of an animal;
as, the
butt
of a ram
.
6.
A thrust in fencing.
To prove who gave the fairer
butt
,
John shows the chalk on Robert's coat.
Prior.
7.
A piece of land left unplowed at the end of a field.
The hay was growing upon headlands and
butts
in cornfields.
Burrill.
8.
(Mech.)
(a)
A joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering; – also called
butt joint
.
(b)
The end of a connecting rod or other like piece, to which the boxing is attached by the strap, cotter, and gib.
(c)
The portion of a half-coupling fastened to the end of a hose.
9.
(Shipbuilding)
The joint where two planks in a strake meet.
10.
(Carp.)
A kind of hinge used in hanging doors, etc.; – so named because fastened on the edge of the door, which butts against the casing, instead of on its face, like the strap hinge; also called
butt hinge
.
11.
(Leather Trade)
The thickest and stoutest part of tanned oxhides, used for soles of boots, harness, trunks.
12.
The hut or shelter of the person who attends to the targets in rifle practice.
Butt chain
(Saddlery)
,
a short chain attached to the end of a tug.
–
Butt end
.
The thicker end of anything. See
But end
, under 2d
But
.
Amen; and make me die a good old man!
That's the
butt end
of a mother's blessing.
Shakespeare
A butt's length
,
the ordinary distance from the place of shooting to the butt, or mark.
–
Butts and bounds
(Conveyancing)
,
abuttals and boundaries. In lands of the ordinary rectangular shape, butts are the lines at the ends (F. bouts), and bounds are those on the sides, or sidings, as they were formerly termed.
Burrill.
–
Bead and butt
.
See under
Bead
.
–
Butt and butt
,
joining end to end without overlapping, as planks.
–
Butt weld
(Mech.)
,
a butt joint, made by welding together the flat ends, or edges, of a piece of iron or steel, or of separate pieces, without having them overlap. See
Weld
.
–
Full butt
,
headfirst with full force.
[Colloq.]
“The corporal . . . ran full butt at the lieutenant.”
Marryat.

Webster 1828 Edition

But

BUT

, part. for butan.
1.
Except; besides;unless.
Who can it be, but perjured Lycon?
That is, removed, separated, excepted.
Lycon being separated, or excepted, who can it be?
And but infirmity,
Which waits upon worn times, hath something seized
His wish'd ability, he had himself
The lands and waters measured.
That is, except,unless, separate this fact, that infirmity had seized his ability,he had measured the lands and waters.
In this use but, butan, is a participle equivalent to excepting, and may be referred to the person speaking, or more naturally, it is equivalent to excepted,and with the following words, or clause,forming the case absolute.
Who can it be,Lycon being excepted?
And but my noble Moor is true of mind, it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
It cannot be but nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways.
There is no question but the King of Spain will reform most of the abuses.
It is not impossible but I may alter the complexion of my play.
In the last three examples, that is omitted after but.
It is not impossible but that I may alter the complexion of my play.
In these and all similar phrases,but denotes separation, exception.
2.
Only.
A formidable man, but to his friends.
There is but one man present.use of but is a modern innovation; but perhaps too firmly established to be corrected. In all such phrases, a negative, not, nothing, or other word,is omitted. He is not a formidable man, but to his enemies, that is, except. There is not but one man present, that is, there is not except or besides one present. So also, 'Our light affliction is but for a moment.' 2 Cor. 4. Our affliction is not, except for a moment.
If they kill us, we shall but die. 2 Kings.7.
The common people in America retain the original and correct phrase,usually employing a negative. They do not say, I have but one. On the other hand, they say, I have not but one, that is, I have not except one; except one, and I have none. This word but for butan is not a conjunction, nor has it the least affinity to that part of speech.

BUT

, cong. [Eng.over.]
More; further; noting an addition to supply what is wanting to elucidate, or modify the sense of the preceding part of a sentence, or of a discourse, or to continue the discourse, or to exhibit a contrast.
Now abide faith, hope, charity, these three;
but, the greatest of these is charity. 1 Cor.13.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the
lowly is wisdom. Prov. 11.
Our wants are many and grievous; but quite of another
kind.
The house of representatives were well agreed in passing the bill; but the senate dissented.
This word is in fact a noun equivalent to addition or supply; but in grammatical construction, no inconvenience results from considering it to be a connective.

BUT

,
Noun.
[L. peto.]
1.
An end; a limit; a bound. It is used particularly for the larger end of a thing, as of a piece of timber, or of a fallen tree; that which grows nearest the earth. It is not often applied to the bound or limit of land; yet butted,for bounded, is often used.
2.
The end of a plank in a ship's side or bottom, which unites with another; generally written butt.

BUT

,
Verb.
I.
To be bounded by; to lie contiguous to; a word used in America. [See Abut.]

Definition 2024

but

but

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

English

Preposition

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

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

but

  1. Except (for), excluding. Preceded by a negation.
    I have 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. 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, translating 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

Usage notes

  • 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

Translations

Noun

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

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

Statistics

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

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German.

Adjective

but

  1. (rare) blunt

Inflection

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

Antonyms

French

Pronunciation

  • (France) IPA(key): /by(t)/
  • (Quebec) IPA(key): /by/

Etymology 1

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”). Cognate with Old English butt ‎(“tree stump”). More at butt.

Noun

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
Related terms

Etymology 2

From boire.

Verb

but

  1. third-person singular past historic of boire

Maltese

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /buːt/

Noun

but m ‎(plural bwiet)

  1. pocket

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [but]

Noun

but m inan

  1. shoe
  2. boot

Declension

Romani

Adjective

but ‎(comparative majbut, superlative legmajbut)

  1. many

Scots

Noun

but ‎(plural buts)

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

Preposition

but

  1. Outside of, without.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bût/

Noun

bȕt m ‎(Cyrillic spelling бу̏т)

  1. thigh
  2. ham

Declension

References

  • “but” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Turkish

Etymology

From Old Turkic būt, from Proto-Turkic.

Noun

but ‎(definite accusative butu, plural butlar)

  1. thigh

Synonyms

Volapük

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /but/

Noun

but ‎(plural buts)

  1. boot

Declension

Etymology

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

  • (stressed) (UK) IPA(key): /bʌt/, [bɐt], enPR: bŭt
  • (stressed) (US) IPA(key): /bʌt/, enPR: bŭt
  • (unstressed) IPA(key): /bət/, enPR: bət
  • Rhymes: -ʌt
  • Homophone: butt

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