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Butte

(byt)

A city of southwest Montana south-southwest of Helena. It grew in the late 1800s as a mining town, especially after the discovery of copper.

butte

(byt)

n.
Chiefly Western US

A hill that rises abruptly from the surrounding area and has sloping or vertical sides and a flat top.

[French, from Old French butt, mound behind targets; see BUTT³.]

(click for a larger image)

butte

West Mitten Butte, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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