DictionaryAI

buttock

noun
BUT-uhk/ˈbʌtək/

Pluralbuttocks

2 meanings of buttock

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    Either of the two large fleshy halves of the rear of the body, lying between the base of the back and the tops of the legs.

    A deep bruise spread across his right buttock after the fall.

    The tailor adjusted the trousers where they pulled tight over each buttock.

    UsageIn everyday talk people often say bottom or behind; cheek is the familiar word for one side.

    Similarbottom, butt, behind, backside, bum

    Note

    It is normally used in the plural, as when Thomas Middleton's millers leave a peck of flour in the cushions with their buttocks.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Middleton's play describes millers leaving a peck of flour in cushions through contact with their buttocks; Simon speaks the passage. gutenberg.org

Less common meaning

  1. 2
    noun
    The outward curve of a ship's hull at the rear, swelling beneath and behind the stern.

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Origin

Inherited from Middle English buttok, probably from Old English buttuc meaning "end" or "end piece." It is a diminutive of the presumed Old English ancestor of "butt" plus the suffix -ock, and has had its current anatomical sense since about 1300.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts