but

1. (chiefly literary or poetic) Merely, only, just, no more thanExamples: "Christmas comes but once a year, so we can but wait till then."; "If they kill us, we shall but die."; "For to see her was to love her, Love but her, and love for ever."Synonyms: but, just, literally, merely, no more than, nothing but, only, simplyliterarynot-comparablepoetic

2. (Australia, Geordie, Scotland, conjunctive) Though, however.Examples: "I'll have to go home early but."; ""Supposin' the chap ain't dead, but?" Regan persisted."; "‘I didn’t like that sheila that tried to latch onto him, but.’"Synonyms: even so, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet, all that said, anyhow, all the same, be it as it mayAustraliaGeordieScotlandconjunctivenot-comparable

1. (colloquial) Used at the beginning of a sentence to express opposition to a remark.Examples: "But I never said you could do that!"; "In reality, I apprehend every amorous widow on the stage would run the hazard of being condemned as a servile imitation of Dido, but that happily very few of our play-house critics understand enough of Latin to read Virgil."; "Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found."colloquial

2. (colloquial) Used to link an interjection to the following remark as an intensifier.Examples: "Wow! But that's amazing!"; "Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade / Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made / People passing by, they would stop and say / "Oh, my, but that little country boy could play""; "Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet? / Ooh, but they're so spaced out / B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets / Oh, but they're weird and they're wonderful / Oh, Bennie, she's really keen"colloquial

3. (archaic) Without it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).Examples: "It never rains but it pours"; "I never hear this song but I think of you."; "No arboret with painted blossomes drest, / And smelling sweet, but there it might be found […]"archaic

4. (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without.Examples: "This man unable to manage his own happineſſe, grew ſo inſolent that he could not go, but either ſpurning his equals, or trampling on his inferiours."obsolete

5. (obsolete) Only; solely; merely.Examples: "Observe but how their own principles combat one another."; "a formidable man but to his friends"obsolete

6. (obsolete) Until.Examples: "'Tshall not be long but I'll be here again."obsolete

1. (Scotland) The outer room of a small two-room cottage.Scotland

1. (archaic) Use the word "but".Examples: "But me no buts."archaic