butter-dish

A small butter-dish sits on the breakfast table next to a loaf of bread.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A container for butter: "butter-dish" refers to a vessel, typically with a lid or cover, designed to hold butter for serving at the table.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Please pass the butter-dish so I can spread some butter on my bread. (A container holding butter.)
  • She bought a new ceramic butter-dish with a floral pattern. (A decorative serving vessel for butter.)

Advanced Usage

• "butter-dish" can also refer to the specific shape or style of container, often rectangular or round, with a raised knob or handle on the lid.
  • The antique silver butter-dish was a family heirloom. (A valuable butter container.)

Variants and Related Words

• Butter (n): a dairy product made from churning cream.

  • Please spread some butter on my toast. (The food item.)

• Dish (n): a shallow, flat-bottomed container for serving food.

  • She washed the serving dish after dinner. (A general container.)

Synonyms

• Butter boat: a small, boat-shaped dish for butter.
• Butter keeper: a container designed to keep butter fresh.
• Butter crock: a ceramic pot with a water seal for storing butter.

Related Idioms

• "Butter up": to flatter someone excessively to gain favour.
  • He tried to butter up the boss for a promotion. (Flatter excessively.) Note: This idiom uses "butter" as a verb, not the compound "butter-dish".

Phrasal Verbs