butter
Butter is a solid dairy product produced by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk to separate the fat from the liquid. It is widely used as a spread, a cooking medium, and a key ingredient in baking due to its high fat content and rich flavor profile.
Examples
3 of 5Would you like some butter on your toast this morning?
Would you like some butter on your toast this morning?
The recipe specifies that the butter must be at room temperature to ensure proper aeration during the creaming process.
The recipe specifies that the butter must be at room temperature to ensure proper aeration during the creaming process.
I'm just going to slap some butter on this bread and call it a meal.
I'm just going to slap some butter on this bread and call it a meal.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Remember that 'butter' makes things 'better'—just change the 'u' to an 'e'!
Quick Quiz
The chef prepared a rich, _______ sauce that complemented the lobster perfectly.
Correct!
The correct answer is: buttery
Examples
Would you like some butter on your toast this morning?
everydayWould you like some butter on your toast this morning?
The recipe specifies that the butter must be at room temperature to ensure proper aeration during the creaming process.
formalThe recipe specifies that the butter must be at room temperature to ensure proper aeration during the creaming process.
I'm just going to slap some butter on this bread and call it a meal.
informalI'm just going to slap some butter on this bread and call it a meal.
In food science, butter is classified as a water-in-oil emulsion, resulting from the inversion of the cream emulsion.
academicIn food science, butter is classified as a water-in-oil emulsion, resulting from the inversion of the cream emulsion.
The retail division is the company's bread and butter, providing the necessary cash flow for research and development.
businessThe retail division is the company's bread and butter, providing the necessary cash flow for research and development.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
butter someone up
to be very nice to someone so they will do what you want
bread and butter
a person's livelihood or main source of income
look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth
to look very innocent although you may have done something wrong
Often Confused With
Batter is a liquid mixture of flour, eggs, and milk used in cooking, while butter is a solid dairy fat.
Better is the comparative form of 'good'; it sounds similar to 'butter' in some dialects but has a different vowel sound.
Usage Notes
As a noun, butter is typically uncountable. However, as a verb, 'to butter' means to spread butter on something or, metaphorically, to flatter someone.
Common Mistakes
Learners often say 'a butter' when they should use a quantifier like 'a piece of butter,' 'a stick of butter,' or 'a pat of butter.'
Memory Tip
Remember that 'butter' makes things 'better'—just change the 'u' to an 'e'!
Word Origin
From Old English 'butere', which comes from the Greek 'boutyron', literally meaning 'cow-cheese'.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In Western history, butter was a symbol of wealth and rural health; the phrase 'guns or butter' is still used in economics to describe the choice between military spending and social goods.
Quick Quiz
The chef prepared a rich, _______ sauce that complemented the lobster perfectly.
Correct!
The correct answer is: buttery
Related Grammar Rules
Related Vocabulary
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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