Dictionary

abut en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /əˈbʌt/ (US)
• /əˈbʊt/ (Northern-England)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /əˈbʌt/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English abutten, from Medieval Latin abuttare and Old French abuter, aboter, abouter (“to touch at one end, to come to an end, aim, reach”), from Old French but (“end, aim, purpose”); akin to Old Norse butr (“piece of wood”). Equivalent to a- (“to”) + butt (“boundary mark”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To touch by means of a mutual border, edge or end; to border on; to lie adjacent (to); to be contiguous (said of an area of land)
   • It was a time when Germany still abutted upon Russia.
   • His land abuts on the road.
2. (transitive) To border upon; be next to; abut on; be adjacent to.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:abut.

Forms

Deriveds

abutter · abuttal · abutment

Translations (43)

fr jouxter (to touch by means of a mutual border) · ru примыка́ть (to border on) · el εδράζομαι (to border on) · pl przylegać (to border on) · fr aboutir (to border on) · bg опирам се о (to border on) · pl graniczyć (to touch by means of a mutual border) · gl testar (to border on) · ru грани́чить (to border on) · de berühren (to border on) · es bordear (to border on) · hu szomszédos (to border on) · cs přiléhat (to touch by means of a mutual border) · cs hraničit (to border on) · de angrenzen (to border on) · mi aki (to border on) · hu érint (to border on) · nl grenzen (to border on) · ro învecina (to border on) · bg гранича (to border on) · mi karipapa (to border on) · gl estremar (to border on) · ru упира́ться (to border on) · de angrenzen (to touch by means of a mutual border) · fr abouter (to border on) · ru прилега́ть (to border on) · mi kāpīpiti (to border on) · hu összeér (to touch by means of a mutual border) · sk hraničiť (to border on) · gl testar (to touch by means of a mutual border) · gl estremar (to touch by means of a mutual border) · cs sousedit (to touch by means of a mutual border) · es colindar (to touch by means of a mutual border) · cs hraničit (to touch by means of a mutual border) · pl przylegać (to touch by means of a mutual border) · hu érintkezik (to touch by means of a mutual border) · sv gränsa till (to border on) · fi rajoittua (to border on) · es lindar (to touch by means of a mutual border) · es limitar (to touch by means of a mutual border) · pl graniczyć (to border on) · hu határos (to border on) · mk грани́чи (to border on)

abut en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /əˈbʌt/ (US)
• /əˈbʊt/ (Northern-England)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /əˈbʌt/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English abutten, from Old French aboter (“to touch at one end, border on”), abouter (“to join end to end”), abuter (“to buttress, to put an end to”), from a- (“towards”) + bout (“end”), boter, bouter (“to strike”), buter (“to strike, finish”). Equivalent to a- (“towards, change to”) + butt (“push”)

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To lean against on one end; to end on, of a part of a building or wall.

Forms