Word Study
but
CIDE DICTIONARY
but, prep. [OE. bute, buten, AS. b, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref. be- + outward, without, fr. out. Primarily, b, as well as , is an adverb. By, Out; cf. About.].
- Except with; unless with; without. [1913 Webster]"So insolent that he could not go but either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors." [1913 Webster]"Touch not the cat but a glove." [1913 Webster]
- Except; besides; save. [1913 Webster]" 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. "Who can it be, ye gods! but perjured Lycon?" [1913 Webster] - Excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; -- elliptical, for but that. [1913 Webster]"And but my noble Moor is true of mind . . . it were enough to put him to ill thinking." [1913 Webster]
- Otherwise than that; that not; -- commonly, after a negative, with that. [1913 Webster]"It cannot be but nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways." [1913 Webster]"There is no question but the king of Spain will reform most of the abuses." [1913 Webster]
- Only; solely; merely. [1913 Webster]"Observe but how their own principles combat one another." [1913 Webster]"If they kill us, we shall but die." [1913 Webster]"A formidable man but to his friends." [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]" “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. [1913 Webster]"Now abideth faith hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." [1913 Webster]"When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom." [1913 Webster]"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." [1913 Webster]"But this I read, that but if remedy
Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see." [1913 Webster]
The outer apartment or kitchen of a two-roomed house; -- opposed to ben , the inner room. [1913 Webster]
but, n. [See 1st But.].
- A limit; a boundary. [1913 Webster]
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. bōzan, akin to E. beat. See Beat, v. t. ].
- A limit; a bound; a goal; the extreme bound; the end. [1913 Webster]" As applied to land, the word is nearly synonymous with mete, and signifies properly the end line or boundary; the abuttal." [1913 Webster]"Here is my journey's end, here my butt
And very sea mark of my utmost sail." [1913 Webster] - The larger or thicker end of anything; the blunt end, in distinction from the sharp end; as, the butt of a rifle. Formerly also spelled
but . See 2nd but,n. sense 2. [1913 Webster] - A mark to be shot at; a target. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]"The groom his fellow groom at butts defies,
And bends his bow, and levels with his eyes." [1913 Webster] - A person at whom ridicule, jest, or contempt is directed; as, the butt of the company. [1913 Webster]"I played a sentence or two at my butt, which I thought very smart." [1913 Webster]
- A push, thrust, or sudden blow, given by the head of an animal; as, the butt of a ram. [1913 Webster]
- A thrust in fencing. [1913 Webster]"To prove who gave the fairer butt,
John shows the chalk on Robert's coat." [1913 Webster] - A piece of land left unplowed at the end of a field. [1913 Webster]"The hay was growing upon headlands and butts in cornfields." [1913 Webster]
- A joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering; -- also called
butt joint . [1913 Webster] - The joint where two planks in a strake meet. [1913 Webster]
- 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 . [1913 Webster] - The thickest and stoutest part of tanned oxhides, used for soles of boots, harness, trunks. [1913 Webster]
- The hut or shelter of the person who attends to the targets in rifle practice. [1913 Webster]
- The buttocks; as, get up off your butt and get to work; -- used as a euphemism, less objectionable than
ass . [PJC]"Amen; and make me die a good old man!
That's the butt end of a mother's blessing." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
but, conj., prep., adv., pron., n., & v.
--conj.
1 a nevertheless, however (tried hard but did not succeed; I am old, but I am not weak). b on the other hand; on the contrary (I am old but you are young).
2 (prec. by can etc.; in neg. or interrog.) except, other than, otherwise than (cannot choose but do it; what could we do but run?).
3 without the result that (it never rains but it pours).
4 prefixing an interruption to the speaker's train of thought (the weather is ideal - but is that a cloud on the horizon?).
--prep. except; apart from; other than (everyone went but me; nothing but trouble).
--adv.
1 only; no more than; only just (we can but try; is but a child; had but arrived; did it but once).
2 introducing emphatic repetition; definitely (wanted to see nobody, but nobody).
3 Austral. & NZ though, however (didn't like it, but).
--rel.pron. who not; that not (there is not a man but feels pity).
--n. an objection (ifs and buts).
--v.tr. (in phr. but me no buts) do not raise objections.
--conj.
1 a nevertheless, however (tried hard but did not succeed; I am old, but I am not weak). b on the other hand; on the contrary (I am old but you are young).
2 (prec. by can etc.; in neg. or interrog.) except, other than, otherwise than (cannot choose but do it; what could we do but run?).
3 without the result that (it never rains but it pours).
4 prefixing an interruption to the speaker's train of thought (the weather is ideal - but is that a cloud on the horizon?).
--prep. except; apart from; other than (everyone went but me; nothing but trouble).
--adv.
1 only; no more than; only just (we can but try; is but a child; had but arrived; did it but once).
2 introducing emphatic repetition; definitely (wanted to see nobody, but nobody).
3 Austral. & NZ though, however (didn't like it, but).
--rel.pron. who not; that not (there is not a man but feels pity).
--n. an objection (ifs and buts).
--v.tr. (in phr. but me no buts) do not raise objections.
Idiom
but for without the help or hindrance etc. of (but for you I'd be rich by now). but one (or two etc.) excluding one (or two etc.) from the number (next door but one; last but one). but that (prec. by neg.) that (I don't deny but that it's true). but that (or colloq. what) other than that; except that (who knows but that it is true?). but then (or yet) however, on the other hand (I won, but then the others were beginners).
but, n. Sc.
Idiom
but and ben the outer and inner rooms of a two-roomed house (see BEN(2)).
Etymology
BUT(1) = outside
THESAURUS
but
after all, again, albeit, all the same, alone, although, aside from, at all events, at any rate, bar, barring, besides, entirely, even, even so, except, except that, excepting, excluding, exclusively, for all that, howbeit, however, if not, in any case, in any event, just the same, merely, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, only, outside of, rather, save, saving, simply, solely, still, though, unless, unless that, were it not, when, without, yetROGET THESAURUS
but
Compensation
N compensation, equation, commutation, indemnification, compromise, neutralization, nullification, counteraction, reaction, measure for measure, retaliation, equalization, robbing Peter to pay Paul, set-off, offset, make-weight, casting-weight, counterpoise, ballast, indemnity, equivalent, quid pro quo, bribe, hush money, amends, counterbalance, counterclaim, cross-debt, cross- demand, compensating, compensatory, countervailing, in the opposite scale, equivalent, in return, in consideration, but, however, yet, still, notwithstanding, nevertheless, nathless, none the less, although, though, albeit, howbeit, mauger, at all events, at any rate, be that as it may, for all that, even so, on the other, hand, at the same time, quoad minus, quand meme, however that may be, after all is said and done, taking one thing with another, light is mingled with the gloom, every dark cloud has a silver lining, primo avulso non deficit alter, saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas.Unconformity
N unconformity, nonconformity, unconformity, disconformity, unconventionality, informality, abnormity, abnormality, anomaly, anomalousness, exception, peculiarity, infraction of law, breach, of law, violation of law, violation of custom, violation of usage, infringement of law, infringement of custom, infringement of usage, teratism, eccentricity, bizarrerie, oddity, je ne sais quoi, monster, monstrosity, rarity, freak, freak of Nature, weirdo, mutant, rouser, snorter, individuality, idiosyncrasy, originality, mannerism, aberration, irregularity, variety, singularity, exemption, salvo, nonconformist, nondescript, character, original, nonesuch, nonsuch, monster, prodigy, wonder, miracle, curiosity, flying fish, black sheep, black swan, lusus naturae, rara avis, queer fish, mongrel, random breed, half-caste, half-blood, half-breed, metis, crossbreed, hybrid, mule, hinny, mulatto, tertium quid, hermaphrodite, phoenix, chimera, hydra, sphinx, minotaur, griffin, griffon, centaur, saggittary, kraken, cockatrice, wyvern, roc, dragon, sea serpent, mermaid, merman, merfolk, unicorn, Cyclops, men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders, teratology, fish out of water, neither one thing nor another, neither fish nor fowl, neither fish flesh nor fowl nor good red herring, one in a million, one in a way, one in a thousand, outcast, outlaw, off the beaten track, oasis, uncomformable, exceptional, abnormal, abnormous, anomalous, anomalistic, out of order, out of place, out of keeping, out of tune, out of one's element, irregular, arbitrary, teratogenic, lawless, informal, aberrant, stray, wandering, wanton, peculiar, exclusive, unnatural, eccentric, egregious, out of the beaten track, off the beaten track, out of the common, out of the common run, beyond the pale of, out of the pale of, misplaced, funny, unusual, unaccustomed, uncustomary, unwonted, uncommon, rare, curious, odd, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, strange, monstrous, wonderful, unexpected, unaccountable, outre, out of the way, remarkable, noteworthy, queer, quaint, nondescript, none such, sui generis, unfashionable, fantastic, grotesque, bizarre, outlandish, exotic, tombe des nues, preternatural, denaturalized, heterogeneous, heteroclite, amorphous, mongrel, amphibious, epicene, half blood, hybrid, androgynous, androgynal, asymmetric, adelomorphous, bisexual, hermaphrodite, monoclinous, qualified, singular, unique, one-of-a-kind, newfangled, novel, non-classical, original, unconventional, unheard of, unfamiliar, undescribed, unprecedented, unparalleled, unexampled, unconformably, except, unless, save barring, beside, without, save and except, let alone, however, yet, but, once in a blue moon, once in a million years, Int, what on earth!, what in the world!, What the devil!, Holy cow!, Can you top that?, Sacre bleu, never was seen the like, never was heard the like, never was known the like, I could hardly believe it, I saw it, but I didn't believe it.Limit
N limit, boundary, bounds, confine, enclave, term, bourn, verge, curbstone, but, pale, reservation, termination, terminus, stint, frontier, precinct, marches, backwoods, boundary line, landmark, line of demarcation, line of circumvallation, pillars of Hercules, Rubicon, turning point, ne plus ultra, sluice, floodgate, definite, conterminate, conterminable, terminal, frontier, bordering, thus far, thus far and no further, stick to the reservation, go beyond the pale, Special.Qualification
N qualification, limitation, modification, coloring, allowance, grains of allowance, consideration, extenuating circumstances, mitigation, condition, proviso, prerequisite, contingency, stipulation, provision, specification, sine qua non, catch, string, strings attached, exemption, exception, escape clause, salvo, saving clause, discount, restriction, fine print, qualifying, qualified, conditioned, restricted, hedged, conditional, exceptional, hypothetical, contingent, provided, provided that, provided always, if, unless, but, yet, according as, conditionally, admitting, supposing, on the supposition of, with the understanding, even, although, though, for all that, after all, at all events, approximately, in a limited degree (smallness), somewhat, sort of, something like that, to a certain extent, to a degree, in a sense, so to speak, with grains of allowance, cum grano salis, with a grain of salt, exceptis excipiendis, wind and weather permitting, if possible, subject to, conditioned upon, with this proviso, if the good lord is willing and the creeks don't r, catch-, Degrees of Evidence.For further exploring for "but" in Webster Dictionary Online
