# butte

/ˈbjut/ (US) · /bˈʌt/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/butte
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a tall, flat-topped hill with very steep sides. You usually see these in dry, desert-like areas.

For teachers: an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top. It is smaller than a mesa but formed by similar erosional processes in arid regions.

## Examples

- The lone butte stands tall against the desert sky.
- As we drove through the valley, we saw a massive red butte rising sharply from the flat ground.
- The geological survey identified the butte as a remnant of a much larger plateau that had been worn away by millions of years of wind and water erosion.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in the context of North American geography, particularly in the Western United States.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.