Quick Facts
- French:
- hillock or rising ground
- Also spelled:
- bute
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butte
geology
Also known as: bute
butte, flat-topped hill surrounded by a steep escarpment from the bottom of which a slope descends to the plain. The term is sometimes used for an elevation higher than a hill but not high enough for a mountain. Buttes capped by horizontal platforms of hard rock are characteristic of the arid plateau region of the western United States. See also mesa.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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