butter

I. but‧ter¹ S2 /ˈbʌtə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: butere, from Latin butyrum, from Greek boutyron, from bous 'cow' + tyros 'cheese']
1. a solid yellow food made from milk or cream that you spread on bread or use in cooking ⇨ ↑bread-and-butter
2. butter wouldn’t melt in sb’s mouth used to say that someone seems to be very kind and sincere but is not really
—buttery adjective
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ salted/unsalted (=with or without salt in it) Unsalted butter is better for baking. | Most butter is slightly salted.
▪ melted butter (=heated until it is liquid) Brush the pastry with a little melted butter.
■ phrases
▪ a pat of butter (=a small flat piece) Breakfast was a small roll and a pat of butter.
▪ a knob of butter (=a small round piece) Add a knob of butter to the meat juices in the pan.
▪ a lump of butter He served himself a big lump of butter.
■ verbs
▪ spread butter on something Lee was spreading butter on his toast.
▪ spread something with butter Spread the warm crumpets with butter.
▪ melt butter Melt the butter and mix it with the other ingredients.
▪ soften butter First soften the butter in a warm place.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

butter

but·ter [butter butters buttered buttering] noun, verb [ˈbʌtə(r)] [ˈbʌtər]

noun uncountable
a soft yellow food made from cream, used in cooking and for spreading on bread
• Fry the onions in butter.
• Do you want butter or margarine on your toast?
see also bread and butter, peanut butter
more at like a knife through butter at knife _v.
Word Origin:
Old English butere, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch boter and German Butter, based on Latin butyrum, from Greek bouturon.
Example Bank:
• Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
• He put a large knob of butter on the potatoes.
• He spread butter on the roll.
• Put some butter on the crackers, please.
• Rub the butter into the flour.
• The butter melted in the heat.
• This butter doesn't spread very well.
• You can make frosting out of half a stick of butter and two cups of powdered sugar.
• courgettes sautéed in butter
• If you're still hungry, have some bread and butter.
Idiom: butter wouldn't melt

Derived: butter somebody up

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

butter / ˈbʌt.ə r / / ˈbʌt̬.ɚ / noun [ U ]

A1 a pale yellow solid food containing a lot of fat that is made from cream and is spread on bread or used in cooking:

We were served scones with butter and jam.

Have some bread and butter (= bread spread with butter) .

a butter dish

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

butter

/bʌtə(r)/
(butters, buttering, buttered)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Butter is a soft yellow substance made from cream. You spread it on bread or use it in cooking.
...bread and butter...
Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl.
N-MASS

2.
If you butter something such as bread or toast, you spread butter on it.
She spread pieces of bread on the counter and began buttering them.
...buttered scones.
VERB: V n, V-ed

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹but·ter /ˈbʌtɚ/ noun, pl -ters
1 [noncount] : a solid yellow substance made from milk or cream that is spread on food or used in cooking
• bread and butter
• Would you like some butter for your potato?
• Sauté the onions in melted butter.
- see also bread and butter
2 [count, noncount] : a food made from cooked fruit or roasted nuts that have been ground up
• apple butter
- see also peanut butter
butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth chiefly Brit
- used to say that a person who appears to be innocent, sincere, or kind is really not;
like a (hot) knife through butter