Definitions for but
bʌt; unstressed bətbut

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.3 / 3 votes

1. merely, simply, just, only, butadverb

   and nothing more

   "I was merely asking"; "it is simply a matter of time"; "just a scratch"; "he was only a child"; "hopes that last but a moment"

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. butnoun

   An instance or example of using the word "but"

   It has to be done no ifs or buts.

2. butnoun

   The outer room of a small two-room cottage.

3. butadverb

   Merely, only.

   Since that day, my mood has changed but a little.

4. butadverb

   Though, however.

   I'll have to go home early but.

5. butconjunction

   Except (for), excluding. Preceded by a negation.

   I have no choice but to leave.

6. butconjunction

   On the contrary, but rather (introducing a word or clause that contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence without the not).

7. butconjunction

   However, although, nevertheless (implies that the following clause is contrary to prior belief or contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence).

8. butconjunction

   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".

9. butconjunction

   Without it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).

   It never rains but it pours.

10. butpreposition

    Outside of.

    Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.

11. butpreposition

    Without, apart from, except.

12. Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to. Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. BUTconjunct.

   Etymology: bute, butan, Saxon.

   1. Except.

   An emission of immateriate virtues we are a little doubtful to propound, it is so prodigious: but that it is so constantly avouched by many. Francis Bacon.

   Who can it be, ye gods! but perjur’d Lycon?
   Who can inspire such storms of rage, but Lycon?
   Where has my sword left one so black, but Lycon? Edmund Smith, Phædra and Hippolitus.

   Your poem hath been printed, and we have no objection but the obscurity of several passages, by our ignorance in facts and persons. Jonathan Swift.

   2. Yet; nevertheless. It sometimes only enforces yet.

   Then let him speak, and any that shall stand without, shall hear his voice plainly; but yet made extreme sharp and exile, like the voice of puppets: and yet the articulate sounds of the words will not be confounded. Francis Bacon, Nat. Hist. №. 155.

   Our wants are many, and grievous to be born, but quite of another kind. Jonathan Swift.

   3. The particle which introduces the minor of a syllogism; now.

   If there be a liberty and possibility for a man to kill himself today, then it is not absolutely necessary that he shall live till tomorrow; but there is such a liberty, therefore no such necessity. John Bramhall, against Hobbes.

   God will one time or another make a difference between the good and the evil. But there is little or no difference made in this world: therefore there must be another world, wherein this difference shall be made. Isaac Watts, Logick, Introduct.

   4. Only; nothing more than.

   If my offence be of mortal kind,
   That not my service, past or present sorrows,
   Can ransom me into his love again;
   But to know so, must be my benefit. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   And but infirmity,
   Which waits upon worn times, hath something seiz’d
   His wish’d ability, he had himself
   The lands and waters measur’d. William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale.

   What nymph soe’er his voice but hears,
   Will be my rival, though she have but ears. Ben Jonson.

   No, Aurengzebe, you merit all my heart,
   And I’m too noble but to give a part. Dryden.

   Did but men consider the true notion of God, he would appear to be full of goodness. John Tillotson.

   If we do but put virtue and vice in equal circumstances, the advantages of ease and pleasure will be found to be on the side of religion. John Tillotson.

   The mischiefs or harms that come by play, inadvertency, or ignorance, are not at all, or but very gently, to be taken notice of. John Locke, on Education.

   If a reader examines Horace’s art of poetry, he will find but very few precepts in it, which he may not meet with in Aristotle . Joseph Addison, Spectator.

   Prepar’d I stand: he was but born to try
   The lot of man, to suffer and to die. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

   5. Than.

   The full moon was no sooner up, and shining in all its brightness, but he privately opened the gate of paradise. Guardian, №. 167.

   6. But that; without this consequence that.

   Frosts that constrain the ground,
   Do seldom their usurping power withdraw,
   But raging floods pursue their hasty hand. Dryden.

   7. Otherwise than that.

   It cannot be but nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways. Richard Hooker, b. i. § 3.

   Who shall believe,
   But you misuse the reverence of your place? William Shakespeare.

   8. Not otherwise than.

   A genius so elevated and unconfined as Mr. Cowley’s, was but necessary to make Pindar speak English. Dryden.

   9. By any other means means than.

   Out of that will I cause those of Cyprus to mutiny: whose qualification shall come into no true taste again, but by transplanting of Cassio. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   10. If it were not for this; if this were not.

   Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
   Full of cruzades. And but my noble Moor
   Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness,
   As jealous creatures are, it were enough
   To put him to ill-thinking. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   I here do give thee that with all my heart,
   Which, but thou hast already, with all my heart
   I would keep from thee. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   11. However; howbeit.

   I do not doubt but I have been to blame;
   But, to pursue the end for which I came,
   Unite your subjects first, then let us go,
   And pour their common rage upon the foe. Dryden.

   12. It is used after no doubt, no question, and such words, and signifies the same with that. It sometimes is joined with that.

   They made no account, but that the navy should be absolutely master of the seas. Francis Bacon, War with Spain.

   I fancied to myself a kind of ease in the change of the paroxysm; never suspecting but that the humour would have wasted itself. Dryden.

   There is no question but the king of Spain will reform most of the abuses. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

   13. That. This seems no proper sense in this place.

   It is not therefore impossible, but I may alter the complexion of my play, to restore myself into the good graces of my fair criticks. John Dryden, Aurengzebe, Preface.

   14. Otherwise than.

   I should sin
   To think but nobly of my grandmother. William Shakespeare, Tempest.

   15. Even; not longer ago than.

   Beroe but now I left; whom, pin’d with pain,
   Her age and anguish from these rites detain. Dryden.

   It is evident, in the instance I gave but now, the consciousness went along. John Locke.

   16. A particle by which the meaning of the foregoing sentence is bounded or restrained.

   Thus fights Ulysses, thus his fame extends,
   A formidable man, but to his friends. Dryden.

   17. An objective particle; yet it may be objected.

   But yet, madam ————
   I do not like but yet; it does allay
   The good precedence; fie upon but yet!
   But yet is as a jaylour, to bring forth
   Some monstrous malefactor. William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra.

   Must the heart then have been formed and constituted, before the blood was in being? But here again, the substance of the heart itself is most certainly made and nourished by the blood, which is conveyed to it by the coronary arteries. Richard Bentley.

   18. But for; without; had not this been.

   Rash man! forbear, but for some unbelief,
   My joy had been as fatal as my grief. Edmund Waller.

   Her head was bare,
   But for her native ornament of hair,
   Which in a simple knot was ty’d above. John Dryden, Fables.

   When the fair boy receiv’d the gift of right,
   And, but for mischief, you had dy’d for spight. Dryden.

2. BUTnoun

   A boundary.

   Etymology: bout, French.

   But, if I ask you what I mean by that word, you will answer, I mean this or that thing, you cannot tell which; but if I join it with the words in construction and sense, as, but I will not, a but of wine, but and boundary, the ram will but, shoot at but, the meaning of it will be as ready to you as any other word. William Holder, Elements of Speech.

3. Butnoun

   In sea language. The end of any plank which joins to another on the outside of a ship, under water. John Harris

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. But

   "But" is a conjunction that is used to introduce a contrasting or contradictory statement or idea in relation to what has been said before. It is often used to join two clauses or sentences, highlighting a contrasting element or presenting an opposing viewpoint.

2. but

   "But" is a conjunction that introduces a contradictory or contrasting element to the preceding statement. It is used to present an opposing idea or opinion and often implies a sense of contrast or exception.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. But

   except with; unless with; without

2. But

   except; besides; save

3. But

   excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; -- elliptical, for but that

4. But

   otherwise than that; that not; -- commonly, after a negative, with that

5. But

   only; solely; merely

6. But

   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

7. But

   the outer apartment or kitchen of a two-roomed house; -- opposed to ben, the inner room

8. Butnoun

   a limit; a boundary

9. Butnoun

   the end; esp. the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end. See 1st Butt

10. Butverb

    see Butt, v., and Abut, v

11. Butverb

    a limit; a bound; a goal; the extreme bound; the end

12. Butverb

    the thicker end of anything. See But

13. Butverb

    a mark to be shot at; a target

14. Butverb

    a person at whom ridicule, jest, or contempt is directed; as, the butt of the company

15. Butverb

    a push, thrust, or sudden blow, given by the head of an animal; as, the butt of a ram

16. Butverb

    a thrust in fencing

17. Butverb

    a piece of land left unplowed at the end of a field

18. Butverb

    a joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering; -- also called butt joint

19. Butverb

    the end of a connecting rod or other like piece, to which the boxing is attached by the strap, cotter, and gib

20. Butverb

    the portion of a half-coupling fastened to the end of a hose

21. Butverb

    the joint where two planks in a strake meet

22. Butverb

    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

23. Butverb

    the thickest and stoutest part of tanned oxhides, used for soles of boots, harness, trunks

24. Butverb

    the hut or shelter of the person who attends to the targets in rifle practice

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. But

   but, prep. or conj. without: except: besides: only: yet: still.—Used as a noun for a verbal objection; also as a verb, as in Scott's 'but me no buts.'—adj. (Scot.) outside, as in 'but end.'—But and ben, a house having an outer and an inner room. [A.S. be-útan, bútan, without—be, by, and útan, out—near and yet outside.]

2. But

   but, n. Same as Butt.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. but

   A northern name for a flounder or plaice. Also, a conical basket for catching fish.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. BUT

   What does BUT stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the BUT acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. BUT

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, But is ranked #74141 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The But surname appeared 261 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname But.
   
   55.5% or 145 total occurrences were Asian.
   37.9% or 99 total occurrences were White.
   2.6% or 7 total occurrences were Black.
   2.3% or 6 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'but' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #28

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'but' in Written Corpus Frequency: #25

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for but »

1. BTU

2. tub

How to pronounce but?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say but in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of but in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of but in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of but in a Sentence

1. John Coates:

   We will be exploring all opportunities to optimise and streamline the scope and service levels at the Games, and reduce the costs that have been caused by the postponement, all of the athletes services will remain the same but there must be other areas of hosting a Games that we can look at and decide what are the must-haves and what are the nice-to-haves.

2. Jeremy Dunn:

   My wife and I joke about it all the time, because when I made the initial order of 72 pair of socks she was, let's just say, not that stoked about having that many pairs of teal socks lying around our apartment. But they sold out in the first hour that we posted them on our Instagram accounts.

3. Brendan Hunt:

   I might have said a racial slur once or twice other times in my life. But that's not something that I believe, that's not something that I ascribe to. And it was said to kind of get a rise out of him and get him mad at me almost to see if he would even criticize me in any way.

4. Laurent Tillie:

   It’s a magic that our dreams came true, we’ve had good times and bad times, but we’ve pushed on to achieve our goal.

5. Mike Pompeo:

   There's no doubt I'm burning fewer calories today than I was when I was able to get on the elliptical, so, yes, I knew there'd be chance that I would put some of the weight back on, and I probably have [in recent weeks]. But when I started this, I didn't have a target weight in mind. I just knew I needed to get healthier, and that's what I hope I can maintain — that mindset — for the rest of my life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=but
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/But
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=but
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/but
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=but
7. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=but
8. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html
9. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=but