What does but mean?
Definitions for but
bʌt; unstressed bətbut
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word but.
Princeton's WordNet
merely, simply, just, only, but(adverb)
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"
Wiktionary
but(Noun)
An instance or example of using the word "but"
It has to be done u2013 no ifs or buts.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Noun)
The outer room of a small two-room cottage.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Adverb)
Merely, only.
Since that day, my mood has changed but a little.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Adverb)
Though, however.
I'll have to go home early but.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Conjunction)
Except (for), excluding. Preceded by a negation.
I have no choice but to leave.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Conjunction)
On the contrary, but rather (introducing a word or clause that contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence without the not).
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Conjunction)
However, although, nevertheless (implies that the following clause is contrary to prior belief or contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence).
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Conjunction)
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".
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Conjunction)
Without it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
It never rains but it pours.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Preposition)
Outside of.
Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
but(Preposition)
Without, apart from, except.
Etymology: From but, buten, boute, bouten, from butan, equivalent to . Cognate with but, bot, bûten, buiten, buten. Compare bin, about.
Webster Dictionary
But
except with; unless with; without
But
except; besides; save
But
excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; -- elliptical, for but that
But
otherwise than that; that not; -- commonly, after a negative, with that
But
only; solely; merely
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
But
the outer apartment or kitchen of a two-roomed house; -- opposed to ben, the inner room
But(noun)
a limit; a boundary
But(noun)
the end; esp. the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end. See 1st Butt
But(verb)
see Butt, v., and Abut, v
But(verb)
a limit; a bound; a goal; the extreme bound; the end
But(verb)
the thicker end of anything. See But
But(verb)
a mark to be shot at; a target
But(verb)
a person at whom ridicule, jest, or contempt is directed; as, the butt of the company
But(verb)
a push, thrust, or sudden blow, given by the head of an animal; as, the butt of a ram
But(verb)
a thrust in fencing
But(verb)
a piece of land left unplowed at the end of a field
But(verb)
a joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering; -- also called butt joint
But(verb)
the end of a connecting rod or other like piece, to which the boxing is attached by the strap, cotter, and gib
But(verb)
the portion of a half-coupling fastened to the end of a hose
But(verb)
the joint where two planks in a strake meet
But(verb)
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
But(verb)
the thickest and stoutest part of tanned oxhides, used for soles of boots, harness, trunks
But(verb)
the hut or shelter of the person who attends to the targets in rifle practice
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
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.]
But
but, n. Same as Butt.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
but
A northern name for a flounder or plaice. Also, a conical basket for catching fish.
Suggested Resources
BUT
What does BUT stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the BUT acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'but' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #28
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'but' in Written Corpus Frequency: #25
Anagrams for but »
tub
BTU
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of but in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of but in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of but in a Sentence
I've generally been pessimistic, but I'm a bit more optimistic now that it got mentioned in the president's acceptance speech - at least that it will be a priority of the administration.
What is surprising is that Obama announced publiclyafter the Merkel scandal that we will cease doing that to close allies, so apparently we did for close NATO allies, but we apparently made just a few exceptions and one of them is the leader of Turkey, Erdogan - not exactly a savory character. The other one was a close ally of democracy an elected leader, Netanyahu.
Power! Did you ever hear of men being asked whether other souls should have power or not? It is born in them. You may dam up the fountain of water, and make it a stagnant marsh, or you may let it run free and do its work; but you cannot say whether it shall be there; it is there. And it will act, if not openly for good, then covertly for evil; but it will act.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani:
You will learn, not later but soon, that you are making a mistake in Yemen, too.
I definitely feel more comfortable on it, i feel like this year especially I have been finding the balance of being a little bit more patient but also playing my game.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for but
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- maar, behalweAfrikaans
- سوى, لكن, إلا, ولكن, لاكنArabic
- ammaAzerbaijani
- але, а, акрамяBelarusian
- ноBulgarian
- কিন্তুBengali
- menys, excepte, però, encara queCatalan, Valencian
- vyjma, ale, kromě, jenžeCzech
- heblaw am, er, ac eithrioWelsh
- men, undtagen, udenDanish
- aber, sondern, nicht, außer, als, nur, trotzdemGerman
- αλλά, με εξαίρεση, αν και, παρόλο, μα, καίτοι, μολονότι, εκτός, πληνGreek
- sed, tamen, escepte de, kromEsperanto
- sino, excepto, salvo, aunque, sólo, solamente, peroSpanish
- kuid, peale, entEstonian
- nahiz eta, baina, izan ezik, salbuBasque
- بجز, مگر, اگرچه, گرچه, ولی, اما, با این حالPersian
- vaan, paitsi, muttaFinnish
- men, uttanFaroese
- que, mais, seulement, cependant, saufFrench
- marWestern Frisian
- achIrish
- achScottish Gaelic
- mais, peroGalician
- אבל, אך, פרט ל, ברם, אולם, למעטHebrew
- लेकिन, मगर, परंतुHindi
- azonban, viszont, csak, hanem, deHungarian
- բայց, բացիArmenian
- namun, tetapi, tapi, kecualiIndonesian
- en, heldurIcelandic
- però, a parte, eccetto, ma, salvo, tuttaviaItalian
- -raluaq-, -galuaq-, -kaluaq-, kisiani, -liInuktitut
- だけ, しかし, けど, しか, でも, けれども, が, けれど, 以外Japanese
- არამედ, მაგრამ, გარდაGeorgian
- бірақKazakh
- kisianni, -li, -kaluar-, -raluar-, -galuar-Kalaallisut, Greenlandic
- ប៉ុន្តែ, ដែរ, ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ, តែ, ចៀសតែKhmer
- 그러나Korean
- feqet, lê, megerçi, ههروهها, meger, ema, gerçi, بهڵام, جگه, ئهگهر چیKurdish
- бирокKyrgyz
- ut, quamvis, licet, sedLatin
- ແຕ່Lao
- oLithuanian
- bet, tačuLatvian
- ноMacedonian
- харинMongolian
- tetapi, kecualiMalay
- imma, mingħajr, iżda, minbarraMaltese
- သို့ရာတွင်Burmese
- behalve, maar, echterDutch
- men, foruten, bortsett fra, unntatt, ennNorwegian
- ndiNavajo, Navaho
- ale, chociaż, z wyjątkiem, opróczPolish
- porém, salvo, embora, mas, excetoPortuguese
- però, cumbain che, maRomansh
- darRomanian
- но, кроме, только, а, лишьRussian
- осим, али, sem, сем, ali, osimSerbo-Croatian
- okrem, ale, avšakSlovak
- čepràv, a, tóda, àmpak, rázenSlovene
- porAlbanian
- ha e se, empaSouthern Sotho
- fast, utan, men, utom, förutomSwedish
- лекин, аммо, валеTajik
- แต่ว่า, แต่Thai
- emmaTurkmen
- fakat, ama, ancak, hariçTurkish
- ә, әммаTatar
- але, а, крімUkrainian
- مگر, لیکنUrdu
- lekin, biroq, ammoUzbek
- nhưng, nhưng màVietnamese
- אָבערYiddish
- 但Chinese
- kodwaZulu
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- Suomi (Finnish)
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"but." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 25 Feb. 2021. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/but>.