French word

butte

Pronunciation

IPA/byt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhill

Example

Nous sommes montés sur la butte pour voir le coucher du soleil.

We climbed the hill to watch the sunset.

Illustration for butte (hill)

More examples

Au sommet de la butte, on voit toute la ville.

Atop the hill, one sees the entire city.

Core concept

A small mound rising above the surrounding ground, with a person standing on it to survey the landscape.

Common phrases

  • au sommet de la butte

    atop the hill

  • en haut de la butte

    at the top of the hill

Similar words

colline: A gently sloping rise of land that stands slightly higher than its surroundings.
montagne: A large, high landform with great elevation and extensive terrain.

Definition in French

Petit relief de terre, naturel ou parfois artificiel, qui se détache du terrain environnant et peut servir de point d'observation.

Word origin

The noun comes through Old French bute, a Germanic-origin word for a raised mass or mound.

Usage tips

  • Butte is feminine, so standard forms include une butte and cette butte.

Other meanings

  • hillocknoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word