noun / verb
button
BUT-uhn/ˈbʌtn/
A small rounded projection used as a fastener or control.
She pushes a wooden button through the shirt's stitched buttonhole.
Etymology
Old French boton originally meant a bud, connecting the button with something that projects outward. The clothing sense applies that projecting knob to a fastener passed through a slit or loop.
In context
This will create space between the button and the fabric, so that later the button will slip easily into the buttonhole.
More examples
- Press the green button to start the machine.
- He buttoned his coat before stepping outside.
- Small mushroom buttons appeared in the damp soil.
Forms
button · buttons · buttoned · buttoning
Similar words
- switch
- Changes a circuit or setting, while button specifies a small pressable control or rounded fastener.