butterball

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butterball

A plump butterball waddles across the grassy park.

Definition
  1. 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.
butterball

A plump butterball waddles across the grassy park.

Noun
  1. small North American diving duck; males have bushy head plumage
  2. a rotund individual

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