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Definition of butte

butte

/bjuːt/
butte
Plural:buttes
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butte Lexical Profile

butte Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American An isolated hill or small mountain with steep, often vertical sides and a relatively small, flat top, formed by the erosion of horizontal strata in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America.

Example

"The weathered sandstone butte rose sharply above the surrounding desert plains."

2

American A historic mining city in southwestern Montana located in the Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide, famous for its rich copper deposits.

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

In physical geography, a butte is distinguished from a mesa by its smaller surface area: a butte is taller than it is wide, whereas a mesa has a broad, flat top that is wider than its height.

• Rhymes for butte

• Nearby Words

butchery
butler
butt
butte
butter
butter and eggs
butter bean

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 19th century from French 'butte', meaning a rising ground or hillock, from Old French 'bute', which was introduced into American English by French-speaking voyageurs and fur trappers in the western United States.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Butte. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/butte
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