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but

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but


  7  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  But  \But\  (b[u^]t),  prep.,  adv  &  conj.  [OE.  bute,  buten,  AS 
  b[=u]tan,  without  on  the  outside,  except,  besides;  pref.  be- 
  +  [=u]tan  outward,  without  fr  [=u]t  out  Primarily, 
  b[=u]tan,  as  well  as  [=u]t,  is  an  adverb.  [root]198.  See 
  {By},  {Out};  cf  {About}.] 
  1.  Except  with  unless  with  without  [Obs.] 
 
  So  insolent  that  he  could  not  go  but  either  spurning 
  equals  or  trampling  on  his  inferiors.  --Fuller. 
 
  Touch  not  the  cat  but  a  glove.  --Motto  of  the 
  Mackintoshes. 
 
  2.  Except;  besides;  save. 
 
  Who  can  it  be  ye  gods!  but  perjured  Lycon?  --E. 
  Smith. 
 
  Note:  In  this  sense  but  is  often  used  with  other  particles; 
  as  but  for  without  had  it  not  been  for  ``Uncreated 
  but  for  love  divine.''  --Young. 
 
  3.  Excepting  or  excluding  the  fact  that  save  that  were  it 
  not  that  unless;  --  elliptical,  for  but  that 
 
  And  but  my  noble  Moor  is  true  of  mind  .  .  .  it  were 
  enough  to  put  him  to  ill  thinking.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  Otherwise  than  that  that  not  --  commonly,  after  a 
  negative,  with  that 
 
  It  cannot  be  but  nature  hath  some  director,  of 
  infinite  power,  to  guide  her  in  all  her  ways. 
  --Hooker. 
 
  There  is  no  question  but  the  king  of  Spain  will 
  reform  most  of  the  abuses.  --Addison. 
 
  5.  Only;  solely;  merely. 
 
  Observe  but  how  their  own  principles  combat  one 
  another.  --Milton. 
 
  If  they  kill  us  we  shall  but  die.  --2  Kings  vii. 
  4. 
 
  A  formidable  man  but  to  his  friends.  --Dryden. 
 
  6.  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 
 
  Now  abideth  faith  hope,  charity,  these  three  but 
  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity.  --1  Cor.  xiii. 
  13. 
 
  When  pride  cometh  then  cometh  shame;  but  with  the 
  lowly  is  wisdom.  --Prov.  xi  2. 
 
  {All  but}.  See  under  {All}. 
 
  {But  and  if},  but  if  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  King  James's 
  translators  of  the  Bible  to  express  the  conjunctive  and 
  adversative  force  of  the  Greek  ?. 
 
  But  and  if  that  servant  say  in  his  heart,  My  lord 
  delayeth  his  coming;  .  .  .  the  lord  of  that  servant 
  will  come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh  not  for  him 
  --Luke  xii. 
  45,  46. 
 
  {But  if},  unless.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  But  this  I  read,  that  but  if  remedy  Thou  her  afford, 
  full  shortly  I  her  dead  shall  see  --Spenser. 
 
  Syn:  {But},  {However},  {Still}. 
 
  Usage:  These  conjunctions  mark  opposition  in  passing  from  one 
  thought  or  topic  to  another.  But  marks  the  opposition 
  with  a  medium  degree  of  strength;  as  this  is  not 
  winter,  but  it  is  almost  as  cold;  he  requested  my 
  assistance,  but  I  shall  not  aid  him  at  present. 
  However  is  weaker,  and  throws  the  opposition  (as  it 
  were)  into  the  background;  as  this  is  not  winter;  it 
  is  however,  almost  as  cold;  he  required  my 
  assistance;  at  present,  however,  I  shall  not  afford 
  him  aid.  The  plan  however,  is  still  under 
  consideration,  and  may  yet  be  adopted.  Still  is 
  stronger  than  but  and  marks  the  opposition  more 
  emphatically;  as  your  arguments  are  weighty;  still 
  they  do  not  convince  me  See  {Except},  {However}. 
 
  Note:  ``The  chief  error  with  but  is  to  use  it  where  and  is 
  enough;  an  error  springing  from  the  tendency  to  use 
  strong  words  without  sufficient  occasion.''  --Bain. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  But  \But\,  n.  [Cf.  {But},  prep.,  adv  &  conj.] 
  The  outer  apartment  or  kitchen  of  a  two-roomed  house;  -- 
  opposed  to  {ben},  the  inner  room  [Scot.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  But  \But\,  n.  [See  1st  {But}.] 
  1.  A  limit;  a  boundary. 
 
  2.  The  end  esp.  the  larger  or  thicker  end  or  the  blunt,  in 
  distinction  from  the  sharp,  end  See  1st  {Butt}. 
 
  {But  end},  the  larger  or  thicker  end  as  the  but  end  of  a 
  log  the  but  end  of  a  musket.  See  {Butt},  n. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  But  \But\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Butted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Butting}.] 
  See  {Butt},  v.,  and  {Abut},  v. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Butt  \Butt\,  But  \But\,  n.  [F.  but  butt,  aim  (cf.  butte  knoll), 
  or  bout,  OF  bot,  end  extremity,  fr  boter,  buter,  to  push 
  butt,  strike,  F.  bouter;  of  German  origin;  cf  OHG.  b[=o]zan, 
  akin  to  E.  beat  See  {Beat},  v.  t.] 
  1.  A  limit;  a  bound;  a  goal;  the  extreme  bound;  the  end 
 
  Here  is  my  journey's  end  here  my  butt  And  very  sea 
  mark  of  my  utmost  sail.  --Shak. 
 
  Note:  As  applied  to  land,  the  word  is  nearly  synonymous  with 
  mete,  and  signifies  properly  the  end  line  or  boundary; 
  the  abuttal. 
 
  2.  The  thicker  end  of  anything  See  {But}. 
 
  3.  A  mark  to  be  shot  at  a  target.  --Sir  W.  Scott. 
 
  The  groom  his  fellow  groom  at  butts  defies,  And 
  bends  his  bow,  and  levels  with  his  eyes.  --Dryden. 
 
  4.  A  person  at  whom  ridicule,  jest,  or  contempt  is  directed; 
  as  the  butt  of  the  company. 
 
  I  played  a  sentence  or  two  at  my  butt,  which  I 
  thought  very  smart.  --Addison. 
 
  5.  A  push  thrust,  or  sudden  blow,  given  by  the  head  of  an 
  animal;  as  the  butt  of  a  ram. 
 
  6.  A  thrust  in  fencing. 
 
  To  prove  who  gave  the  fairer  butt,  John  shows  the 
  chalk  on  Robert's  coat.  --Prior. 
 
  7.  A  piece  of  land  left  unplowed  at  the  end  of  a  field. 
 
  The  hay  was  growing  upon  headlands  and  butts  in 
  cornfields.  --Burrill. 
 
  8.  (Mech.) 
  a  A  joint  where  the  ends  of  two  objects  come  squarely 
  together  without  scarfing  or  chamfering;  --  also 
  called  {butt  joint}. 
  b  The  end  of  a  connecting  rod  or  other  like  piece,  to 
  which  the  boxing  is  attached  by  the  strap,  cotter,  and 
  gib. 
  c  The  portion  of  a  half-coupling  fastened  to  the  end  of 
  a  hose. 
 
  9.  (Shipbuilding)  The  joint  where  two  planks  in  a  strake 
  meet 
 
  10.  (Carp.)  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}. 
 
  11.  (Leather  Trade)  The  thickest  and  stoutest  part  of  tanned 
  oxhides,  used  for  soles  of  boots,  harness,  trunks. 
 
  12.  The  hut  or  shelter  of  the  person  who  attends  to  the 
  targets  in  rifle  practice. 
 
  {Butt  chain}  (Saddlery),  a  short  chain  attached  to  the  end  of 
  a  tug. 
 
  {Butt  end}.  The  thicker  end  of  anything  See  {But  end},  under 
  2d  {But}. 
 
  Amen;  and  make  me  die  a  good  old  man!  That's  the 
  butt  end  of  a  mother's  blessing.  --Shak. 
 
  {A  butt's  length},  the  ordinary  distance  from  the  place  of 
  shooting  to  the  butt,  or  mark. 
 
  {Butts  and  bounds}  (Conveyancing),  abuttals  and  boundaries. 
  In  lands  of  the  ordinary  rectangular  shape,  butts  are  the 
  lines  at  the  ends  (F.  bouts),  and  bounds  are  those  on  the 
  sides,  or  sidings,  as  they  were  formerly  termed. 
  --Burrill. 
 
  {Bead  and  butt}.  See  under  {Bead}. 
 
  {Butt  and  butt},  joining  end  to  end  without  overlapping,  as 
  planks. 
 
  {Butt  weld}  (Mech.),  a  butt  joint,  made  by  welding  together 
  the  flat  ends  or  edges,  of  a  piece  of  iron  or  steel,  or 
  of  separate  pieces,  without  having  them  overlap.  See 
  {Weld}. 
 
  {Full  butt},  headfirst  with  full  force.  [Colloq.]  ``The 
  corporal  .  .  .  ran  full  butt  at  the  lieutenant.'' 
  --Marryat. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Butt  \Butt\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Butted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Butting}.]  [OE.  butten,  OF  boter  to  push  F.  bouter.  See 
  {Butt}  an  end  and  cf  {Boutade}.] 
  1.  To  join  at  the  butt,  end  or  outward  extremity;  to 
  terminate;  to  be  bounded;  to  abut.  [Written  also  {but}.] 
 
  And  Barnsdale  there  doth  butt  on  Don's  well-watered 
  ground.  --Drayton. 
 
  2.  To  thrust  the  head  forward;  to  strike  by  thrusting  the 
  head  forward,  as  an  ox  or  a  ram.  [See  {Butt},  n.] 
 
  A  snow-white  steer  before  thine  altar  led,  Butts 
  with  his  threatening  brows.  --Dryden. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  but 
  adv  :  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"  [syn:  {merely}, 
  {simply},  {just},  {only}] 




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