but

but  (bt; bt when unstressed)

conj.

1. On the contrary: the plan caused not prosperity but ruin.

2. Contrary to expectation; yet: She organized her work but accomplished very little. He is tired but happy.

3. Usage Problem Used to indicate an exception: No one but she saw the prowler.

4. With the exception that; except that. Often used with that: would have joined the band but he couldn't spare the time; would have resisted but that they lacked courage.

5. Informal Without the result that: It never rains but it pours.

6. Informal That. Often used after a negative: There is no doubt but right will prevail.

7. That . . . not. Used after a negative or question: There never is a tax law presented but someone will oppose it.

8. If not; unless: "Ten to one but the police have got them" (Charlotte M. Yonge).

9. Informal Than: They had no sooner arrived but they turned around and left.

prep.

Usage Problem Except.

adv.

1. Merely; just; only: hopes that lasted but a moment.

2. Used as an intensive: Get out of here but fast!

Idiom:

but for

Were it not for: except for: We would have reached the summit but for the weather.

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[Middle English, from Old English btan; see ud- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: Traditional grammarians have worried over what form the pronoun ought to take when but is used to indicate an exception in sentences such as No one but I (or No one but me) has read it. Some have argued that but is a conjunction in these sentences and therefore should be followed by the nominative form I. However, many of these grammarians have gone on to argue somewhat inconsistently that the accusative form me is appropriate when the but phrase occurs at the end of a sentence, as in No one has read it but me. While this treatment of the construction has a considerable weight of precedent on its side and cannot be regarded as incorrect, a strong case can be made on grammatical grounds for treating this use of but as a preposition. For one thing, if but were truly a conjunction here, we would expect the verb to agree in person and number with the noun or pronoun following but; we would then say No one but the students have read it. What is more, if but were a true conjunction here we would not expect that it could be moved to the end of a clause, as in No one has read it but the students. Note that we cannot use the conjunction and in a similar way, saying John left and everyone else in the class in place of John and everyone else in the class left. These observations suggest that but is best considered as a preposition here and followed by accusative forms such as me and them in all positions: No one but me has read it. No one has read it but me. These recommendations are supported by 73 percent of the Usage Panel when the but phrase precedes the verb and by 93 percent when the but phrase follows the verb. · But is redundant when used together with however, as in But the army, however, went on with its plans; one or the other word should be eliminated. · But is generally not followed by a comma. Correct written style requires Kim wanted to go, but we stayed, not Kim wanted to go, but, we stayed. · But may be used to begin a sentence at all levels of style. See Usage Notes at and, cannot, doubt, however, I¹.

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but

conj

1. contrary to expectation: he cut his hand but didn't cry

2. in contrast; on the contrary: I like seafood but my husband doesn't

3. other than: we can't do anything but wait

4. without it happening: we never go out but it rains

prep

1. except: they saved all but one

2. but for were it not for: but for you, we couldn't have managed

Adverb

only: I can but try, he was but a child

Noun

an objection: ifs and buts [Old English būtan without, except]

Thesaurus

Adv.

1.

but - and nothing more; "I was merely asking"; "it is simply a matter of time"; "just a scratch"; "he was only a child"; "hopes that last but a moment" just, merely, only, simply

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but

conjunction 1. however, still, yet, nevertheless

preposition 2. except (for), save, bar, barring, excepting, excluding, with the exception of

adverb 3. only, just, simply, merely

Translations

but [bʌt] conj 1. pero;

he's not very bright, but he's hard-working → no es muy inteligente, pero es trabajador

2. (in direct contradiction) → sino;

he's not English but French → no es inglés sino francés;

he didn't sing but he shouted → no cantó sino que gritó

3. (showing disagreement, surprise etc): but that's far too expensive! → ¡pero eso es carísimo!;

but it does work! → ¡(pero) sí que funciona! prep (= apart from, except) → menos, salvo;

we've had nothing but trouble → no hemos tenido más que problemas;

no-one but him can do it → nadie más que él puede hacerlo;

the last but one → el penúltimo;

who but a lunatic would do such a thing? → ¡sólo un loco haría una cosa así!;

but for you/your help → si no fuera por ti/tu ayuda;

anything but that → cualquier cosa menos eso adv (= just, only): she's but a child → no es más que una niña;

had I but known → si lo hubiera sabido;

I can but try → al menos lo puedo intentar;

it's all but finished → está casi acabado

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but [bʌt] conj → mais;

I'd love to come, but I'm busy → j'aimerais venir mais je suis occupé;

he's not English but French → il n'est pas anglais mais français;

but that's far too expensive! → mais c'est bien trop cher! prep (= apart from, except) → sauf, excepté;

nothing but → rien d'autre que;

we've had nothing but trouble → nous n'avons eu que des ennuis;

no-one but him can do it → lui seul peut le faire;

who but a lunatic would do such a thing? → qui sinon un fou ferait une chose pareille?;

but for you/your help → sans toi/ton aide;

anything but that → tout sauf or excepté ça, tout mais pas ça;

the last but one (Brit) → l'avant-dernier/ère adv (= just, only) → ne ... que;

she's but a child → elle n'est qu'une enfant;

had I but known → si seulement j'avais su;

I can but try → je peux toujours essayer;

all but finished → pratiquement terminé;

anything but finished → tout sauf fini, très loin d'être fini

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but [bʌt] conj 1. (= yet) → aber;

not blue but red → nicht blau, sondern rot;

he's not very bright, but he's hard-working → er ist nicht sehr intelligent, aber er ist fleißig

2. (= however);

I'd love to come, but I'm busy → ich würde gern kommen, bin aber beschäftigt

3. (showing disagreement, surprise etc);

but that's far too expensive! → aber das ist viel zu teuer!;

but that's fantastic! → das ist doch toll! prep (= apart from, except) → außer +dat;

nothing but trouble → nichts als Ärger;

no-one but him can do it → keiner außer ihm kann es machen;

but for you → wenn Sie nicht gewesen wären;

but for your help → ohne Ihre Hilfe;

I'll do anything but that → ich mache alles, nur nicht das;

the last house but one → das vorletzte Haus;

the next street but one → die übernächste Straße adv (= just, only) → nur;

she's but a child → sie ist doch noch ein Kind;

I can but try → ich kann es ja versuchen

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but [bʌt] conj → ma;

I'd love to come, but I'm busy → vorrei tanto venire, ma ho da fare prep (= apart from, except) → eccetto, tranne, meno;

nothing but → nient'altro che;

he was nothing but trouble → non dava altro che guai;

no-one but him → solo lui;

no-one but him can do it → nessuno può farlo tranne lui;

the last but one (BRIT) → il(la) penultimo/a;

but for you/your help → se non fosse per te/per il tuo aiuto;

anything but that → tutto ma non questo;

anything but finished → tutt'altro che finito adv (= just, only) → solo, soltanto;

she's but a child → è solo una bambina;

had I but known → se solo avessi saputo;

I can but try → tentar non nuoce;

all but finished → quasi finito

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but

conj but [bat]

used to show a contrast between two or more things John was there, but Peter was not. maar, egter لكن но ale men aber αλλά pero aga اما؛ ولی mutta mais אָבַל लेकिन ali de tetapi en ma, però しかし 그러나 bet bet tetapi maar men, derimot ale mas dar но, а, однако ale toda ali men แต่ fakat, ama, ancak 但是 але, однак لیکن nhưng mà 但是

prep

except (for) no-one but me; the next road but one. behalwe, buiten إلا، باستثناء، ما عدا без kromě med undtagelse af; på nær; den næste igen (to veje herfra) außer εκτός από excepto peale به جز؛ مگر paitsi sauf אֶלָא के अलावा osim kivéve kecuali að frátöldum, nema tranne, eccetto ～のほかには ...을 제외하고 išskyrus, be aiznākošais kecuali behalve unntatt, uten z wyjątkiem, oprócz senão în afară de кроме okrem razen osim utom ยกเว้น ...-den/dan başka 除...之外 лише, тільки سوائے trừ ra 除...之外