butter
noun
the fatty portion of milk, separating as a soft whitish or yellowish solid when milk or cream is agitated or churned.
had been buttering
-
past perfect progressiveof butter.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
Rose-Marie laid down the bit of roll that she had been buttering and turned reproachful eyes upon the Young Doctor.
From The Island of Faith by Margaret E. (Margaret Elizabeth) Sangster
Quite after the maddening fashion of men the Young Doctor did not answer—not until he had consumed, and appreciatively, the bit of roll that he had been buttering.
From The Island of Faith by Margaret E. (Margaret Elizabeth) Sangster
The little country practitioner who had been buttering them up for a quarter of a century found that he might as well put up his shutters.
From The Stark Munro Letters by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
