butch
butch
1 American
[booch]
/ bʊtʃ /
noun
-
Slang.
-
a woman or girl, especially one who is LGBTQ+, who embraces identity markers such as clothing, hairstyle, interests, or behaviors that are associated with traditional expressions of masculinity.
I settled down with a nice butch and am happily married
-
a gay man who embraces identity markers that are associated with normative expressions of masculinity.
-
any person who adopts a masculine appearance, manner, or persona.
-
-
Informal. butch haircut.
adjective
Butch
2
American
[booch]
/ bʊtʃ /
noun
butch
British
/ bʊtʃ /
adjective
noun
-
a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
-
a strong rugged man
Etymology
Origin of butch
First recorded in 1940–45; apparently from the proper name
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With their flamboyant costumes and choreography, the group became a pop culture phenomenon, targeting disco's large gay audience with camp fantasy characters of butch builders, bikers, cowboys and soldiers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Over-the-top, camp and butch, with heavy makeup, big hair and large gestures, the season's most flamboyant, matron-like men put on their drawers to tread the boards and make everything go pear-shaped.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
They describe themselves as butch in appearance — short-cropped hair, button-down Oxfords.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2024
So, is it possible to butch up vegetables?
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2024
It’s beig id the water so butch, I fadcy,” and he smiled.
From The Wallypug in London by Alan Wright
Also on the team was Hawking’s son, Butch, who contributed many assists to MacLean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Remember that classic movie moment when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid can escape capture or death only by jumping off a cliff into a fast-flowing river?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Popcorn and movies—as intertwined as Laurel and Hardy, Fred and Ginger, Butch and Sundance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
As well as leading roles in hits such as All The President's Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Way We Were, Redford also launched the Sundance Film Festival to champion independent filmmakers.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025
They learned about American history that day by watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on video.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
