Part 891

But"ton*mold` (&?;), n. A disk of bone, wood, or other material, which is made into a button by covering it with cloth. [Written also buttonmould.]

Fossil buttonmolds, joints of encrinites. See Encrinite.

But"tons (&?;), n. A boy servant, or page, -- in allusion to the buttons on his livery. [Colloq.] Dickens.

But"ton*weed` (&?;), n. (Bot.) The name of several plants of the genera Spermacoce and Diodia, of the Madder family.

But"ton*wood` (&?;), n. (Bot.) The Platanus occidentalis, or American plane tree, a large tree, producing rough balls, from which it is named; -- called also buttonball tree, and, in some parts of the United States, sycamore. The California buttonwood is P. racemosa.

But"ton*y (&?;), a. Ornamented with a large number of buttons. "The buttony boy." Thackeray. "My coat so blue and buttony." W. S. Gilbert.

But"tress (&?;), n. [OE. butrasse, boterace, fr. F. bouter to push; cf. OF. bouteret (nom. sing. and acc. pl. bouterez) buttress. See Butt an end, and cf. Butteris.] 1. (Arch.) A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry.

When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a pier.

2. Anything which supports or strengthens. "The ground pillar and buttress of the good old cause of nonconformity." South.

Flying buttress. See Flying buttress.

But"tress (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttressed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttressing.] To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly.

To set it upright again, and to prop and buttress it up for duration. Burke.

Butt" shaft` (&?;) An arrow without a barb, for shooting at butts; an arrow. [Also but shaft.] Shak.

Butt" weld` (&?;). See Butt weld, under Butt.

Butt"weld`, v. t. To unite by a butt weld.

But"ty (&?;), n. (Mining) One who mines by contract, at so much per ton of coal or ore.

Bu"tyl (&?;), n. [L. butyrum butter + -yl. See Butter.] (Chem.) A compound radical, regarded as butane, less one atom of hydrogen.

Bu"ty*lene (&?;), n. [From Butyl.] (Chem.) Any one of three metameric hydrocarbons, C4H8, of the ethylene series. They are gaseous or easily liquefiable.

Bu`ty*ra"ceous (&?;), a. [L. butyrum butter. See Butter.] Having the qualities of butter; resembling butter.

Bu"ty*rate (&?;), n. (Chem.) A salt of butyric acid.

Bu*tyr"ic (&?;), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, butter.

Butyric acid, C3H7.CO2H, an acid found in butter; an oily, limpid fluid, having the smell of rancid butter, and an acrid taste, with a sweetish aftertaste, like that of ether. There are two metameric butyric acids, called in distinction the normal- and iso- butyric acid. The normal butyric acid is the one common in rancid butter.

Bu"ty*rin (&?;), n. (Physiol. Chem.) A butyrate of glycerin; a fat contained in small quantity in milk, which helps to give to butter its peculiar flavor.

Bu`ty*rom"e*ter (&?;), n. [L. butyrum butter + -meter.] An instrument for determining the amount of fatty matter or butter contained in a sample of milk.

Bu"ty*rone (&?;), n. [Butyric + - one.] (Chem.) A liquid ketone obtained by heating calcium butyrate.

Bu"ty*rous (&?;), a. Butyraceous.

Bux"e*ous (&?;), a. [L. buxeus, fr. buxus the box tree.] Belonging to the box tree.

Bux"ine (&?;), n. (Chem.) An alkaloid obtained from the Buxus sempervirens, or common box tree. It is identical with bebeerine; -- called also buxina.