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

However, certainty is anything but a sure thing these days, and the bread-and-butter of the US economy might not go unscathed, said RSM economist Brusuelas. —Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025

There are dinner plates, salad plates, bread-and-butter plates, soup bowls, fruit saucers, cups and saucers, and serving pieces. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025

Noun

That said, smartphones and Chromebooks are still very much MediaTek’s bread and butter, even as the company seeks to diversify itself beyond those segments. —Anshel Sag, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

All dinners will include french fries or macaroni & cheese, cole slaw, three bean salad, beets, bread and butter and condiments. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 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