Jump To:

• bread and butter
  bread and butter

  noun

  bread spread with butter.
• bread-and-butter
  bread-and-butter

  adjective

  providing a livelihood or basic source of income; supplying the basic needs of life.

bread and butter

¹ American  

noun

1. bread spread with butter.

2. a basic means of support; source of livelihood; sustenance.

   The automobile industry is the bread and butter of many Detroiters.

---

bread-and-butter ² American  

[bred-n-buht-er] / ˈbrɛd nˈbʌt ər /

adjective

1. providing a livelihood or basic source of income; supplying the basic needs of life.

   a bread-and-butter job; the agency's bread-and-butter account.

2. of or relating to basic needs.

   housing and other bread-and-butter political issues.

3. basic or everyday; staple; routine.

4. expressing thanks for hospitality.

   a bread-and-butter letter.

---

bread and butter British  

noun

1. (modifier) a means of support or subsistence; livelihood

   the inheritance was their bread and butter

2. 1. providing a basic means of subsistence

      a bread-and-butter job

   2. solid, reliable, or practical

      a bread-and-butter player

   3. expressing gratitude, as for hospitality (esp in the phrase bread-and-butter letter )

---

bread and butter Idioms  

1. The essential, sustaining element, as in The quality of the schools is the bread and butter of town property values . This idiom alludes to a basic food, bread spread with butter. [c. 1700]

2. Means of livelihood, as in John's job is the family's bread and butter . [First half of 1700s]

3. Ordinary, routine, as in Don't worry about it; this is just a bread and butter assignment . [Second half of 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of bread and butter¹

First recorded in 1620–30

Origin of bread-and-butter²

First recorded in 1720–30; adj. use of noun phrase bread and butter

Example Sentences

While Coinbase has diversified its business over the last five years, crypto trading remains its bread and butter, which is a problem when prices are low.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Granted, the Emmys have made repetitiveness its bread and butter for decades now.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Recently it has joined the AI rush, deviating from its bread and butter of conventional infrastructure and blue-chip stocks, pumping money into several large AI data center funds, including one with asset manager Brookfield.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

We started with a generous spread of complimentary bread and butter, fresh oysters, and escargot—my wife’s favorite, not mine, though the leftover sauce was perfect for dipping.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

They ate bread and butter to celebrate their engagement.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman