# butter

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbʌt.əɹ/ · frequency rank #3,605

## Definitions
1. A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow's milk).
2. Any of various foodstuffs made from other foods or oils, similar in consistency to, eaten like or intended as a substitute for butter (preceded by the name of the food used to make it).
3. Any of various substances made from other (especially plant-based) oils or fats, used in moisturizers, cosmetics, etc.
4. Any specific soft substance.
5. Something that is smooth, impressive, or appealing. (Compare smooth as butter.)
6. Something that is smooth, impressive, or appealing. (Compare smooth as butter.)

## Etymology
PIE word
 *gʷṓws
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws
Proto-Hellenic *gʷous
Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs)
Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂-der.
Proto-Hellenic *tūrós
Ancient Greek τυρός (turós)
Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron)bor.
Latin būtȳrumbor.
Proto-West Germanic *buterā
Old English butere
Middle English buter
English butter
From Middle English buter, butter, from Old English butere, from Proto-West Germanic *buterā, from Latin būtȳrum, from Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron, “cow cheese”), compound of βοῦς (boûs, “ox, cow”) and τῡρός (tūrós, “cheese”).

## Easily confused with
- **buyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-buyer)
- **butts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-butts)
- **button** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-button)
- **buzzer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-buzzer)
- **butters** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-butters)
- **buttery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-buttery)
- **buttered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butter-vs-buttered)
- **butt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butt-vs-butter)
- **bute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bute-vs-butter)
- **Bette** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bette-vs-butter)
- **butte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butte-vs-butter)
- **biter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biter-vs-butter)
- **better** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/better-vs-butter)
- **bother** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bother-vs-butter)
- **bitter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butter)
- **butler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/butler-vs-butter)
- **burger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burger-vs-butter)
- **buffer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buffer-vs-butter)
- **busted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/busted-vs-butter)
- **bumper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bumper-vs-butter)

## Common misspellings (7)
`bbutter`, `btuter`, `buter`, `butetr`, `butterr`, `buttre`, `ubtter`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/butter