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• Butch
  Butch

  noun

  a male given name.

butch

¹ American  

[booch] / bʊtʃ /

noun

1. Slang.

   1. 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

   2. a gay man who embraces identity markers that are associated with normative expressions of masculinity.

   3. any person who adopts a masculine appearance, manner, or persona.

2. Informal. butch haircut.

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adjective

1. Slang.

   1. (of a girl or woman, especially one who is LGBTQ+) having identity markers usually associated with traditional expressions of masculinity.

      This shirt brand is very popular with my butch lesbian friends.

   2. (of a boy or man) decidedly masculine in manner or appearance.

Butch ² American  

[booch] / bʊtʃ /

noun

1. a male given name.

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butch British  

/ bʊtʃ /

adjective

1. (of a woman or man) markedly or aggressively masculine

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noun

1. a lesbian who is noticeably masculine

2. a strong rugged man

Etymology

Origin of butch

First recorded in 1940–45; apparently from the proper name

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

butch Butch

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

"My sexuality has no bearing on whether I look girly, or whether I'm butch or whatever I present myself to be," she said.

From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026

So, is it possible to butch up vegetables?

From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2024

I’ve come to appreciate through the years that butch identity is something to be honored and cherished.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

It’s beig id the water so butch, I fadcy,” and he smiled.

From The Wallypug in London by Alan Wright

San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

The report also highlighted poor engineering and a lack of oversight at Boeing, which helped turn an eight-to-14-day mission into a months-long ordeal for the test pilots, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026

Popcorn and movies—as intertwined as Laurel and Hardy, Fred and Ginger, Butch and Sundance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

Amy Redford, daughter of the "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" star who created the festival in 1978, said this year's get-together would be an emotional experience, just four months after her father's death.

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

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

Related Words

• manly
• masculine