butter
butter — noun
1. a soft, pale-yellow food made by churning the fatty part of milk; people put it
a soft, pale-yellow food made by churning the fatty part of milk; people put it on bread or use it for cooking and baking.
Lina spread soft butter on her warm toast for breakfast.
spread + butter + on bread / toast
Grandma melted a little butter in the pan before adding the eggs.
melt + butter (cooking)
The recipe needs 100 grams of butter and two cups of flour.
Marcus likes peanut butter, but his sister prefers real dairy butter.
There was no butter left in the fridge, so Dad bought some.
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense; say 'some butter' or 'a piece of butter', not 'a butter'. To count portions, use 'a pat of butter', 'a stick of butter', or 'a knob of butter'.
常見錯誤
2. a thick, soft paste made by crushing nuts or seeds, eaten as food (like peanut b
a thick, soft paste made by crushing nuts or seeds, eaten as food (like peanut butter) or used in skin and hair products (like shea butter).
Yuki packed peanut butter sandwiches for the school trip on Friday.
peanut butter (food, compound noun)
This hand cream contains shea butter from West Africa.
shea butter (cosmetic ingredient)
Carlos stirred almond butter into his oatmeal for extra protein.
The shop sells cocoa butter, coconut butter, and cashew butter in glass jars.
文法句型
[noun] + butter (e.g. peanut butter, almond butter, shea butter)
用法筆記
Almost always appears as a compound: 'peanut/almond/cashew/shea/cocoa butter'. Standing alone, just 'butter' usually means the dairy spread (sense 1).
常見錯誤
3. a sweet, smooth preserve made by slowly cooking fruit with sugar until it become
a sweet, smooth preserve made by slowly cooking fruit with sugar until it becomes thick enough to put on bread, often with no actual butter inside.
Aunt Rosa makes apple butter every autumn and stores it in mason jars.
apple butter (compound)
The farmers' market sells homemade pumpkin butter and pear butter near the bakery.
pumpkin butter / pear butter
Marcus spread thick apple butter on his cinnamon roll at the diner.
Aunt Rosa reminded Marcus that fruit butter has no dairy, despite its confusing name.
文法句型
[fruit] + butter (e.g. apple butter, pumpkin butter)
用法筆記
Used as a compound with a fruit name ('apple butter', 'pumpkin butter'). Distinguish from sense 1: this contains no dairy. Most common in American English; British speakers may say 'fruit cheese' or 'curd' for similar products.
butter — verb
1. to put butter (or something similar like margarine) onto a piece of food, especi
to put butter (or something similar like margarine) onto a piece of food, especially bread, toast, or a baking pan.
Sarah buttered four slices of bread for the picnic basket.
butter + slices of bread
Please butter the pan before pouring in the cake batter.
butter the pan (baking)
The waiter buttered a hot roll and placed it beside Marcus's soup.
Lina lightly buttered her toast and added a thin layer of jam.
文法句型
butter + [object] (typically bread, toast, a pan)
用法筆記
Always transitive: you butter something (bread, a pan), not just 'butter'. Common adverbs: 'lightly', 'thickly', 'generously'.
常見錯誤
2. to cover a surface with a thin, even layer of a soft material such as glue, past
to cover a surface with a thin, even layer of a soft material such as glue, paste, or filler, so that another piece will stick to it.
The bricklayer buttered each brick with mortar before laying it in place.
butter + brick + with mortar (construction)
Carlos buttered the wallpaper with paste and pressed it onto the wall.
butter + wallpaper + with paste (DIY)
Dental students learn to butter the model with plaster in a smooth, even layer.
The carpenter buttered the joint with glue and clamped the two boards together.
文法句型
butter + [surface] + with [substance]
用法筆記
Technical, mostly used by builders, decorators, and craftspeople. Distinguish from sense 1: here the substance is mortar, paste, glue or similar, not actual butter.