butterball
Definition
- Noun:
- A small North American diving duck: A type of waterfowl, specifically the bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), characterized by the male's distinctive, puffy head feathers.
- A rotund individual: A colloquial and often humorous or mildly derogatory term for a person who is very plump or chubby.
Usage Examples
Noun (Duck):
- We spotted a butterball diving for fish in the lake.
- The male butterball is easily identified by its fluffy white head patch.
Noun (Person):
- After the holidays, he joked that he was turning into a little butterball.
- The affectionate nickname "butterball" was used for the chubby toddler.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used informally. When referring to a person, it can be affectionate among friends or family but may be considered impolite if used by or about strangers due to its focus on physical appearance.
Variants and Related Words
- Bufflehead: The more common ornithological name for the "butterball" duck.
- Fatty: A more direct and often derogatory synonym for the "rotund individual" meaning.
- Plump: An adjective describing a pleasantly full, rounded shape, less harsh than "butterball" when describing a person.
Synonyms
- For the duck: Bufflehead.
- For the person: Chubby person, roly-poly, plump individual.
Related Idioms
- While not a phrasal verb, the term itself functions as a metaphorical idiom when applied to a person, comparing their roundness to the shape of a ball of butter.
Noun
-
small North American diving duck; males have bushy head plumage
-
a rotund individual
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