Meaning
3 senses(literary, not comparable, poetic)Merely, only, just, no more than.
Christmas comes but once a year, so we can but wait till then.
(Australia, Geordie, Scotland, conjunctive, not comparable)Though, however.
I'll have to go home early but.
(not comparable)Used to repeat an adverb for emphasis; simply; just; absolutely.
I would never, but never do such a thing!
- and nothing more
Examples
27184 sentencesHave fun, but don't get lost.
Розважайся, але на загубись.
It is nothing but a joke.
Це лише жарт.
ruЭто всего лишь шутка.
deEs ist bloß ein Witz.
It was nothing but a joke.
Це був лише жарт.
ruЭто была всего лишь шутка.
deEs war nur ein Witz.
The girl did nothing but cry.
Дівчина лише й робила, що плакала.
ruДевочка только и делала, что плакала.
Excuse me, but I feel sick.
Перепрошую, але я себе не дуже добре почуваю.
Origin
From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside oFrom Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside of, except, only”), from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan, *biūtini, equivalent to be- + out. Cognate with Scots but, bot (“outside, without, but”), Saterland Frisian buute (“without”), West Frisian bûten (“outside of, apart from, other than, except, but”), Dutch buiten (“outside”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), obsolete German baußen (“outside”), Luxembourgish baussen. Compare bin, about.
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Synonyms
31 synonymsCollocations
12 patterns- do that but
- no choice but
- choice but to
- couldn't help but
- choice but
- nothing but
- sorry but
- every day but
- but no one
- did nothing but
- the door but
- no one but