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Butter

1. An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.

2. Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chloridess, as butter of antimony, sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, as butter of cacao, vegetable butter, shea butter.

(Science: botany) butter and eggs, a tree of the genus Bassia, the seeds of which yield a substance closely resembling butter. The butter tree of india is the B. Butyracea; that of Africa is the shea tree (B. Parkii). See shea tree. Butter trier, a tool used in sampling butter. Butter wife, a woman who makes or sells butter.

Synonym: butter woman.

Origin: oe. Botere, butter, as. Butere, fr. L. Butyrum, gr.; either fr. Ox, cow _ cheese; or, perhaps, of scythian origin. Cf. Cow.