butterball

noun

but·​ter·​ball ˈbə-tər-ˌbȯl How to pronounce butterball (audio)
1
: bufflehead
2
: a chubby person

Examples of butterball in a Sentence

I was a little butterball when I was a child.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lohuis rated each sheep's body condition on a five-point scale where zero was dead and five was as fat as a butterball. — Rick Sinnott, Alaska Dispatch News, 24 June 2017 Yukon Golds, butterball, new potatoes, and fingerlings are all terrific options. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026 In this neighborhood setting, Commonwealth’s breakfast croissant is one of the city’s best morning sandwiches, built on a lace-trace butterball of a croissant with clean omelet folds of egg wrapped around ham and cheese and bell peppers and onions. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Feb. 2026 The American failure to neutralize this preachy butterball suggested serious limits to the occupying force’s control of the situation. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025 Turkey dinners include a 10 to 12-pound butterball turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sage dressing, turkey gravy, green bean casserole, spinach artichoke dip and cranberry orange relish. — Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of butterball was in 1813

Rhymes for butterball

See All Rhymes for butterball

Browse Nearby Words

butter-and-eggs
butterball
butter basket
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Butterball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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