butt
UK: bʌt | US: bʌt
n. 1. The thicker end of a tool or weapon (e.g., the butt of a rifle).
n. 2. A person or thing that is ridiculed or criticized (e.g., the butt of a joke).
n. 3. The buttocks; the rear end.
vt. 1. To strike or push with the head or horns (e.g., a goat butting a fence).
The word butt traces back to Old French bot (end, target) and Proto-Germanic buttaz (blunt, thick). Its dual meanings—referring to both the "end" of an object (e.g., rifle butt) and the act of striking (e.g., head-butting)—stem from the idea of a blunt impact or protrusion. The sense of "buttocks" emerged later, likely influenced by the rounded, protruding shape.
He rested the butt of the spear against the ground.
She became the butt of office gossip after the incident.
The goat butted the fence repeatedly.
He slipped and landed hard on his butt.
The comedian’s jokes always made him the butt of the show.