What does "butch" mean?
A lesbian who appears masculine or acts in a masculine manner.
Butch
/bʊt͡ʃ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A lesbian who appears masculine or acts in a masculine manner.
- Grammar: butch is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ac-dc, amazon, amphierotic, androgyne.
- Useful contrasts: girly, androgynous, delicate.
- Usage evidence: There, look, Mr. Horne! Vada that great butch lucoddy!
How to use "butch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "butch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "butch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "butch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "butch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "butch" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ac-dc" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "butch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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 a closely cropped haircut; usually for men or boys wordnet
- 3 (slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine wordnet
Verb
- 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 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."
Adjective
- 1 Very masculine, with a masculine appearance or attitude. slang
"There, look, Mr. Horne! Vada that great butch lucoddy!"
Adjective
- 1 (of male or female homosexuals) characterized by stereotypically male traits or appearance wordnet
- 2 used of men; markedly masculine in appearance or manner wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A male nickname.
Antonyms
Example
"There, look, Mr. Horne! Vada that great butch lucoddy!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "butch"?
Common synonyms include: ac-dc, amazon, amphierotic, androgyne, auntie, autoerotic.
How do you use "butch" in a sentence?
There, look, Mr. Horne! Vada that great butch lucoddy!
How do you pronounce "butch"?
Pronounced /bʊt͡ʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Originally, it was probably used as an abbreviation of butcher. Later, in the 1940s, the sense “masculine lesbian” developed.
Etymology 2
Back-formation from butcher.