abutted; abutting

transitive verb

1
: to border on : to touch along an edge
Their property abuts our land.
2
: to cause to touch or lean for support
abut a timber against a post

intransitive verb

1
: to touch along a border or with a projecting part
a parcel of land that abuts on the road
2
a
: to terminate at a point of contact
b
: to lean for support

Examples of abut in a Sentence

Their property and our property abut. our land abuts a nature preserve, so we see a lot of wildlife
Recent Examples on the Web An organic almond farmer whose orchard abuts a conventional one can’t easily dig up his mature trees and replant them somewhere else. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 One current fight is whether Seaside will approve plans for a horse-racing track, Monterey Downs, that also will include a training track, indoor arena, more than 1,000 housing units, two hotels and retail and commercial spaces – all abutting the national monument. Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 There are two staircases in the home: a circular one leads from the foyer to a landing that overlooks the first floor; the second one abuts the mudroom. Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024 There are no states that abut the U.S.-Mexico border in the top ten highest risks states in Mexico for cargo truck hijacking. Nathaniel Parish Flannery, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Before the war, the area abutting the school had been a little park, complete with burbling fountain. Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The new development would abut the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami’s St. Mary’s Cathedral and its parochial school, an important neighborhood center. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2024 The bay lies between the Potomac River and the mouth of the Occoquan River, abutting shorelines in both Fairfax and Prince William counties. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 In addition to the generous, 2-acre lot, this property on the end of a private cul-de-sac abuts a 120-acre farm that is preserved in a land trust, ensuring serene views of the natural world year-round. Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abutten, borrowed from Anglo-French abuter, from a-, verb-forming prefix (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + bout, but "push, thrust, blow, end, extremity," noun derivative from bouter, boter "to push, thrust, strike" — more at butt entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abut was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near abut

Cite this Entry

“Abut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abut. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abut

verb
abutted; abutting
: to touch along a border or with a part that sticks out
abutter noun

Legal Definition

abut

verb
abutted; abutting

intransitive verb

: to touch along a border or with a projecting part
used with on, upon, or against
the land abuts on the road

transitive verb

: to border on : reach or touch with an end
two lots that abut each other

More from Merriam-Webster on abut

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