adverb
but
no more than
The cottage stands but a short walk from shore.
Etymology
The older word means outside or except. Used with a quantity or description, it excludes anything beyond the stated amount, giving the sense “only” or “no more than.”
More examples
- He is but a child.
- We can but hope.
- It was but a passing thought.
Forms
but
Similar words
- only
- More ordinary than this literary use of but.