bread-and-butter

1 of 2

adjective

bread-and-but·​ter ˈbred-ən(d)-ˈbə-tər 

1

a

: being as basic as the earning of one's livelihood

bread-and-butter issues

b(1)

: reliable

our bread-and-butter repertoire

(2)

: dependable as a source of income

a company's bread-and-butter products

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter letter

bread and butter

2 of 2

noun

: a means of sustenance or livelihood

Examples of bread-and-butter in a Sentence

Noun

Casual clothing has always been the company's bread and butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And Democrats have to stay razor-focused on the bread-and-butter and macaroni-and-cheese issues, not just the macro, the macro issues. —NBC news, 24 Aug. 2025

For a more diverse selection, local farmers’ markets and specialty food shops often carry small-batch or artisanal pickles in unique flavors, such as chipotle, spicy garlic, or bread-and-butter. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025

Noun

Fox’s bread and butter is live news and sports, areas defined by things like expensive rights battles where scale is crucial; additional sports acquisitions or buys of smaller cable assets could be smart plays. —Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Misalignments of the Metroidvania formula Once perfected, the combat encounters and extra hard challenges become the game’s bread and butter. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bread-and-butter

• kilometre
• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• flutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter

Kids Definition

bread-and-butter

adjective

ˌbred-ᵊn-ˈbət-ər

1

a

: concerned with or being as basic as earning a living

bread-and-butter economic issues

b

: dependable

bread-and-butter products that always sell

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter note