181
buttercup
busy Liz-zie /,bɪzi ˈlɪzi/ n a small plant with bright flowers
busy signal especially AmE || engaged tone BrE — n the sound you hear when the number you are calling on the telephone is already in use
busy-work /'bɪziwɜːk||-wɜːrk/ n [U] especially AmE work that does not produce any useful result, but is done only in order to make someone look as if they are busy
but¹ /bʌt; strong bʌt/ conj 1 against what might be expected; in spite of this: The situation looked desperate, but they didn't give up hope. | They are poor but proud. | It was cheap, but it goes quite well. 2 yet at the same time; on the other hand: It wasn't cheap, but it's very good. | These changes will cost quite a lot, but they will save us money in the long run. | an expensive but immensely useful book | It has some limitations but then (again) what do you expect from a £100 computer? 3 rather; instead: They own not one but three houses! | The purpose of the scheme is not to help the employers but to provide work for young people. 4 except that; however: He would have won easily, but he fell and broke his leg. | I would like to go, but I'm too busy. | We were coming to see you, but it rained (so we didn't). | We had no alternative but to dismiss her. | There's no doubt/no question but (that) he's guilty. | (lit) There was not a man but had tears in his eyes. (=they all had tears in their eyes) | But for (=without) your help I'd be stranded. 5 (used to express surprise, disagreement, or other strong feeling): But how wonderful! | But that's outrageous! 6 (used to give force to a statement): It'll be the event of the year – everyone, but everyone, is coming. 7 (used to change the subject) anyway: But now to the main question ...
but² prep 1 other than; except: There's no one here but me. | You can come any day but Thursday. | This car has been nothing but trouble! | Who but George would do such a thing? | What can we do but sit and wait? 2 the last/next but one/two/three especially BrE one/two/three etc from the last/next: His house is the last but one in this street. → see also all but (ALL²)
Compare but and except. But is usually followed by a noun or pronoun: They gave a toy to everyone but me. Except can be used in the same way, or it can be followed by a phrase: Everyone's here except/but Mary. | The window is never opened except in summer (not but in summer).
but³ adv 1 especially lit only; just: He is still but a child! | We can but try. 2 AmE slang (used to add force): Go there but fast! | They're rich, but I mean rich!
but⁴ /bt/ n (There are) no buts about it infml (there is) no doubt about it or argument against it → see also ifs and buts (IF²)
bu-tane /'bjuːteɪn/ n [U] a natural gas used for cooking, heating, and lighting
butch /bʊtʃ/ adj derog (of a woman) showing a lot of male tendencies; sometimes used as an offensive word to describe LESBIANS
Butch Cas-si-dy and The Sun-dance Kid /,bʊtʃ ,kæsɪdi ən ðə 'sʌndɑːns ,kɪd||-dæns-/ a film made in 1969 with Robert Redford and Paul Newman, about two American BANDITS who were hunted and finally died in a SHOOT-OUT
butch·er¹ /'bʊtʃər/ n 1 a person who owns or works in a shop (butcher's) which sells meat: I bought some lamb at the butcher's. 2 a person who causes suffering or death cruelly and unnecessarily
butcher² v [T] 1 to kill (animals) and prepare them for sale as food 2 to kill (especially large numbers of people) bloodily or unnecessarily → see KILL (USAGE) 3 infml to spoil through carelessness or lack of skill: That hairdresser really butchered my hair – it looks awful!
butch·er·y /'bʊtʃəri/ n [U] 1 the preparation of meat for sale 2 cruel and unnecessary killing of human beings
Buthelezi, Chief Mangosuthu Gatsha /ˌbuːtəˈleɪzi, ˌmæŋɡəˈsuːtuː ˈɡætʃə/ (1928–) the South African leader of the Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party, the third largest political party in South Africa. In 1994 he became a minister in Nelson Mandela's government, and has been the Minister of Home Affairs since then.
but-ler /'bʌtlər/ n (especially formerly) the chief male servant of a house, in charge of the others
CULTURAL NOTE In Britain, the STEREOTYPE of a butler is of a very calm EFFICIENT and polite man who has no sense of humour and never appears to be shocked or surprised by anything. People sometimes make jokes about the fact that, in old British DETECTIVE stories in which someone is murdered, it is often the butler who is found to be the murderer.
Butler, Rhett /ret/ the main male character in the novel GONE WITH THE WIND. In the film of this book, Rhett Butler was played by Clark Gable, and he is remembered especially for saying to Scarlett O'Hara 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!'
Butler, Robert O-len /,rɒbət 'əʊlənˌlɪrɒbərt-/ (1945–) a US writer who was a soldier during the Vietnam war. Many of his novels are about living in a foreign country and Butler often writes about Vietnamese people who are living in the US. His novels include The Alleys of Eden, Tabloid Dreams, and A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993.
Butler Report, the also the 'Butler Review a report which was prepared for the British Government by a COMMITTEE led by Lord Butler, an important CIVIL SERVANT, and which was PUBLISHED in July 2004. The Government had asked Butler to examine the INTELLIGENCE (=information about the secret activities of government, the military plans of an enemy etc) about Iraq's WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION on which the government had based its decision to join a COALITION (=group of armies from different countries) led by the US which INVADED Iraq in 2003. The report said that important intelligence had been UNRELIABLE (=could not be trusted) and that the Intelligence Service which had advised the government had not checked its SOURCES (=the people it got information from) carefully enough.
But·lins /ˈbʌtlɪnz/ trademark a group of HOLIDAY CAMPS in various seaside towns in the UK, providing rooms, food, and a wide variety of entertainment and organized activities all for a fixed price. They were started by Sir Billy Butlin (1899–1980) with the aim of providing inexpensive holidays for ordinary working people, and they were especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
butt¹ /bʌt/ v [I;T] to strike or push against (someone or something) with the head or horns: butting its head against the wall —butt n: The goat gave me a butt in the stomach!
butt in phr v [I(⌝on)] slang, often derog to interrupt, usually by speaking: Stop butting in (on our conversation)!
butt out phr v [I] infml used to rudely tell someone to stop getting involved in a private situation: It's not your business, so just butt out!
butt² n [{of, for}] a person or thing that people make fun of: Poor John was the butt of/for all their jokes.
butt³ n 1 a large, thick, or bottom end of something: a rifle butt | a cigarette butt (=the last unsmoked end) 2 slang the part of the body on which a person sits: Get off your butt and do some work!
butt⁴ n a large barrel for liquids
butte /bjuːt/ n AmE a hill which stands on its own and has steep sides and a flat top
but·ter¹ /ˈbʌtər/ n [U] 1 fairly solid yellow fat made from milk or cream and spread on bread, used in cooking etc: a butter dish → compare SOFT MARGARINE 2 Butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth infml he/she pretends to be kind, harmless, sincere etc but is not really so —y adj: a buttery taste | buttery fingers
butter² v [T] to spread butter on: to butter a slice of bread
butter sbdy. ↔ up phr v [T] infml to praise (someone) too much with the hope of gaining something in return; FLATTER
but·ter·ball /ˈbʌtəbɔːl||-ər-/ n AmE infml derog a round fat person, especially a fat child
'butter bean n [usually pl.] a large pale yellow bean, often sold in its dried form
but·ter·cream /ˈbʌtəkriːm||-ər-/ n a soft creamy spread made with butter and sugar and used inside or on top of cakes: buttercream icing/filling
but·ter·cup /ˈbʌtəkp||-ər-/ n a common small yellow wild flower which often grows in fields → see picture at FLOWER