a hill that rises abruptly from the surrounding region; has a flat top and sloping sides
"The ancient butte stood as an isolated landmark, rising sharply from the plains with its distinctive flat summit and steep slopes."
a town in southwestern Montana; center for mining copper
"The historic butte served as the vital hub for extracting vast quantities of copper from the region's rich deposits."
An isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top.
"The ancient butte stands alone in the desert, its sheer cliffs rising from the sand to reveal a wide, level summit."
In plain English: A butte is an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top that stands alone on open land.
"The hikers admired the tall, flat-topped butte rising above the surrounding desert landscape."
Usage: Do not confuse this geological term with a mesa, which is larger in size but shares the same flat-topped structure. It is also distinct from a cinder cone or other volcanic landforms despite their similar solitary appearance.
A census-designated place in Alaska.
"Butte is a small census-designated place located in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of Alaska."
PIE word *bʰudʰmḗn Borrowed from French butte ("mound"). Related to butt via a West Germanic cognate.