Butch

//bʊt͡ʃ// adj, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Very masculine, with a masculine appearance or attitude. slang

    "There, look, Mr. Horne! Vada that great butch lucoddy!"

Adjective
  1. 1
    (of male or female homosexuals) characterized by stereotypically male traits or appearance wordnet
  2. 2
    used of men; markedly masculine in appearance or manner wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A male nickname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A lesbian who appears masculine or acts in a masculine manner. countable, slang

    "Coming out appeals to the narcissistic pleasure of presenting to another a finished image of ourselves, which they return to us in exactly the same form: [someone tells] you [they are] a bisexual butch, and you confirm it. But instead, it seems all too likely – especially, perhaps, for bisexuals, whose claims to identity always need that much more proof – that no such mirror-image will be returned."

  2. 2
    a closely cropped haircut; usually for men or boys wordnet
  3. 3
    (slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To work as a butcher. intransitive, nonstandard

    "Sax thouſand years are near hand fled, / Sin’ I was to the butching bred, / And mony a ſcheme in vain’s been laid, / To ſtap or ſcar me; / Till ane Hornbook’s ta’en up the trade, / And faith, he’ll waur me."

  2. 2
    To slaughter (animals) and prepare (meat) for market. nonstandard, transitive

    "Take thy huge offal and white liver hence, / Or in a twinkling of this true-blue steel / I shall be butching thee from nape to rump."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Originally, it was probably used as an abbreviation of butcher. Later, in the 1940s, the sense “masculine lesbian” developed.

Etymology 2

Originally, it was probably used as an abbreviation of butcher. Later, in the 1940s, the sense “masculine lesbian” developed.

Etymology 3

Back-formation from butcher.

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