butte
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of butte
1650–60, < North American French; French: low hill, mound, Old French: landmark, target, apparently feminine derivative of but butt 2
Explanation
A butte is a flat-topped hill that stands alone in a relatively flat area. There are many buttes in the Southwest and Western United States. The dramatic hills in the background of old Western films are often buttes — the director John Ford featured Arizona's Mitten Buttes in seven of his movies. Geographers distinguish between a butte and a mesa, a larger, flat-topped hill: a butte's top is narrower than it is tall, and a mesa's is wider than its height. The explorers Lewis and Clark are responsible for introducing this French word to English speakers.
Vocabulary lists containing butte
Geological Features
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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The United States
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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.
Borgquist assures me as we drive to the top that I’ll soon understand why this steep butte is perfect for energy storage.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
I left early, skipping breakfast to trek along the butte toward the Piz Boè.
From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2022
An Oregon butte unfortunately titled “Swastika Mountain” will be getting a new name in the near future.
From Washington Times • Aug. 24, 2022
It wrapped around the butte several times and switched back and forth as it snaked upward to the summit, where guests were dropped off at the front door like royalty.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2022
The eagle screamed to announce his success, then flew toward a distant butte.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
