but for

but for
Except, except for, not counting; were it not for.

She had a woman to take care of her called Mrs Poole — an able woman in her line, and very trustworthy, but for one fault — a fault common to a deal of them nurses and matrons — she kept a bottle of gin by her, and now and then took a drop over-much.

Pertaining to a test of causation whereby an agent or action is considered to have caused an event (and therefore to be responsible and/or liable for said event) if, had said agent or action not existed, the event would not have taken place.

This relevance can in many cases, as here, be tested by the sine qua non or but for rule.


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  • but for — See: EXCEPT FOR …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • but for — See: EXCEPT FOR …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • but for — preposition Date: 12th century except for …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • There but for Fortune — Infobox Album Name = There but for Fortune Type = compilation Artist = Phil Ochs Released = 1989 Recorded = 1964 1966 Genre = Folk Length = Label = Producer = Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.25|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg… …   Wikipedia

  • But — (b[u^]t), prep., adv. & conj. [OE. bute, buten, AS. b[=u]tan, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref. be + [=u]tan outward, without, fr. [=u]t out. Primarily, b[=u]tan, as well as [=u]t, is an adverb. [root]198. See {By}, {Out}; cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • But and if — But But (b[u^]t), prep., adv. & conj. [OE. bute, buten, AS. b[=u]tan, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref. be + [=u]tan outward, without, fr. [=u]t out. Primarily, b[=u]tan, as well as [=u]t, is an adverb. [root]198. See {By}, {Out};… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • But if — But But (b[u^]t), prep., adv. & conj. [OE. bute, buten, AS. b[=u]tan, without, on the outside, except, besides; pref. be + [=u]tan outward, without, fr. [=u]t out. Primarily, b[=u]tan, as well as [=u]t, is an adverb. [root]198. See {By}, {Out};… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • For — For, prep. [AS. for, fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D. voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G. f[ u]r, Icel. fyrir, Sw. f[ o]r, Dan. for, adv. f[ o]r, Goth. fa[ u]r, fa[ u]ra, L. pro, Gr. ?, Skr. pra . [root] 202. Cf. {Fore}, {First},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • For — For, prep. [AS. for, fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D. voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G. f[ u]r, Icel. fyrir, Sw. f[ o]r, Dan. for, adv. f[ o]r, Goth. fa[ u]r, fa[ u]ra, L. pro, Gr. ?, Skr. pra . [root] 202. Cf. {Fore}, {First},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • For all me — For For, prep. [AS. for, fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D. voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G. f[ u]r, Icel. fyrir, Sw. f[ o]r, Dan. for, adv. f[ o]r, Goth. fa[ u]r, fa[ u]ra, L. pro, Gr. ?, Skr. pra . [root] 202. Cf. {Fore}, {First},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • For all that — For For, prep. [AS. for, fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D. voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G. f[ u]r, Icel. fyrir, Sw. f[ o]r, Dan. for, adv. f[ o]r, Goth. fa[ u]r, fa[ u]ra, L. pro, Gr. ?, Skr. pra . [root] 202. Cf. {Fore}, {First},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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