Soften spread; spread light coating on each breast as if buttering toast.
"He is buttering the bread of millions upon millions," said Mr. Stistick.
Then I would imitate the acts of cutting the slices and buttering them.
"You won't find it, Gadgem," replied St. George, buttering the toast.
Just watch my speed, returned Terry, buttering a slice of bread.
Of course he is, answered Dan, buttering another piece of bread.
Jennie was back at her buttering again; apparently he was to do the telling.
While buttering and rolling, do every thing as quickly as possible.
After buttering slab and bars, pour the candy into the enclosure.
"The news of the war, Uncle John," added Beth, buttering her toast.
Old English butere "butter," general West Germanic (cf. Old Frisian, Old High German butera, German Butter, Dutch boter), an early loan-word from Latin butyrum "butter" (source of Italian burro, Old French burre, French beurre), from Greek boutyron, perhaps literally "cow-cheese," from bous "ox, cow" (see cow (n.)) + tyros "cheese;" but this might be a folk etymology of a Scythian word.
The product was used from an early date in India, Iran and northern Europe, but not in ancient Greece and Rome. Herodotus described it (along with cannabis) among the oddities of the Scythians. Butter-knife attested from 1818.
Old English buterian "spread butter on," from the same source as butter (n.). Figurative meaning "to flatter lavishly" is by 1798 (with up (adv.), in Connelly's Spanish-English dictionary, p.413). Related: Buttered; buttering.
butter but·ter (bŭt'ər)
n.
A soft yellowish or whitish emulsion of butterfat, water, air, and sometimes salt, churned from milk or cream and processed for use in cooking and as a food.
A soft solid having at room temperature a consistency like that of butter.
noun
Flattery; cajolery; soft soap (1823+)
verb
(also butter up) To flatter shamelessly and fulsomely (1700+)
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