The Collaborative International Dictionary
Butter \But"ter\ (b[u^]t"t[~e]r), n. [OE. botere, butter, AS. butere, fr. L. butyrum, Gr. boy`turon; either fr. boy`s ox, cow + turo`s cheese; or, perhaps, of Scythian origin. Cf. Cow.]
An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.
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Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chlorides, as butter of antimony, sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, as butter of cacao, vegetable butter, shea butter.
Butter boat, a small vessel for holding melted butter at table.
Butter flower, the buttercup, a yellow flower.
Butter print, a piece of carved wood used to mark pats of butter; -- called also butter stamp.
--Locke.Butter tooth, either of the two middle incisors of the upper jaw.
Butter tree (Bot.), a tree of the genus Bassia, the seeds of which yield a substance closely resembling butter. The butter tree of India is the Bassia butyracea; that of Africa is the Shea tree ( Bassia Parkii). See Shea tree.
Butter trier, a tool used in sampling butter.
Butter wife, a woman who makes or sells butter; -- called also butter woman. [Obs. or Archaic]