[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/butch/)

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# butch

adjective (butch, butcher, butchest – rare); noun (a butch – slang)

«butch» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal) Looking or acting tough, strong and traditionally manly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#m1)
2. (slang) A word some people use for a lesbian woman who dresses or acts in a traditionally masculine way; it can be a proud self-description, but used by others it can be rude or hurtful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#m2)
3. (a name) Butch is also a nickname, as in the cowboy Butch Cassidy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday talk, «a butch dog» or «a butch name» is tough-sounding. In stories and old westerns, Butch Cassidy was an American outlaw. Be careful: using it about a person can be teasing or unkind.

### Examples

- That bulldog looks very butch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#x1)
- He tried to look butch in his leather jacket. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#x2)
- Butch Cassidy was a famous train robber. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#x3)
- "Rex is a butch name for a puppy," laughed Dad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#x4)
- Don't call people names to tease them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/#x5)

### Note

Informal. Do not use it to tease people about how they look. «Butcher» (meat seller) is a different word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «butch» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/butch/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«butch» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/butch.html) on Mova free.