butt shaft | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

72 entries found.

"thick end," 1580s," from butt (n.1) + end (n.). Meaning "the mere end," without regard to thickness, is from 1590s.

long narrow passage for admitting air, 1690s, from air (n.1) + shaft (n.2).

also headbutt, 1935, from head (n.) + butt (n.5). As a verb, by 1946. Related: Head-butting (1917 as a noun).

a jocular name for one who cuts into a line, etc., 1902, American English, from verbal phrase butt in (see butt (v.)) + surname ending based on Eastern European names. Butt-in (n.) "person who butts in" is attested from 1906. Compare Amsterdam.

crankshaft (n.)

also crank-shaft, "shaft turned by a crank," 1803, from crank (v.) + shaft (n.). The basic form of the mechanism appears to date from Roman times.

butthead (n.)

also butt-head, late 1980s, student slang, "objectionable person," from butt (n.6) + head (n.); perhaps influenced by butterhead, 1960s African-American vernacular for one who is a disgrace to the community. Earlier, butthead meant simply the butt end or bottom of anything (1630s).

buck (v.3)

1750, "to butt," apparently a corruption of butt (v.) by influence of buck (n.1). Figuratively, of persons, "to resist, oppose," 1857.

scape (n.2)

in botany, "shaft, stem," c. 1600, from Latin scapus "a stalk, shaft," cognate with Greek skapos "staff," skēptron "staff, scepter" (see scepter).

ball-bearing (n.)

1874, "method of lessening friction by surrounding a shaft with loose balls;" see ball (n.1) + bearing (n.). They "bear" the friction.

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