button /butˈn/

1. A knob or disc, used as a fastening, ornament or badge
2. A knob, eg that at the end of a foil, that for winding a watch, that to which a violin tailpiece is looped
3. A bud
4. The knob which is the beginning of a horn on a stag's head
5. A projection on the loom of an oar to keep it inside the gate
6. The head of an unexpanded mushroom (also button mushroom)
7. A pimple
8. The push-button of an electric bell, a vending machine, etc
9. On a mouse or joystick, a small part pressed to cause it to function (computing)
10. A small on-screen shape clicked on to select an option (computing)
11. Anything of little value
12. A person who acts as a decoy or accomplice (obs sl)
13. (in pl) sheep's dung

Like a button, used eg of small varieties of vegetables, blooms, etc of a compact, globular shape

1. To fasten by means of buttons
2. To close up tightly

To be capable of being fastened with buttons

buttˈons singular noun

A page in a hotel, etc (also boy in buttons (obsolete))

buttˈony adjective

1. Set with buttons
2. Like a button or buttons

button accordion noun

An accordion played by means of buttons

buttˈon-back adjective

(of chairs, etc) decorated with buttons pressed into the upholstery at regular intervals on the back and sometimes elsewhere

buttˈonball see buttonwood below.

buttˈonbush noun

A N American shrub (genus Cephalanthus) of the madder family, with globular flower-heads

button cell or button cell battery noun

A small, flat, circular battery, used to power a watch, etc

button chrysanthemum noun

A kind of chrysanthemum with small round flowers

buttˈon-down adjective

(of a shirt collar) with ends fastened by buttons to the shirt front

buttˈoned-down adjective (US inf)

Conservative, esp in dress or behaviour

buttˈoned-up adjective (informal)

Uncommunicative or repressed

buttˈonhole noun

1. The slit through which a button is passed
2. A flower or flowers for wearing in the buttonhole of a lapel

transitive verb

1. To make buttonholes in
2. To sew with a stitch suitable to reinforce (esp cut) edges (buttonhole stitch)
3. To detain in talk (orig buttˈonhold)

buttˈonholer noun

A person or sewing-machine attachment that makes buttonholes

buttˈonhook noun

A hook for pulling buttons through buttonholes in boots, gloves, etc

buttˈon-mould noun

The wooden, plastic, etc base for leather- or cloth-covered buttons

button mushroom see under n above.

button quail noun

Any of several ground-living birds of the genus Turnix inhabiting warm grasslands of Australasia

button scurvy noun

Yaws

buttˈon-through adjective

(of a woman's dress or skirt) buttoning in front from top to bottom

buttˈonwood noun

1. A small tropical Atlantic coast evergreen tree (Conocarpus erecta) of the myrobalan family
2. (also buttˈonball) a plane-tree (US)

as bright as a button

Full of energy and enthusiasm

buttoned up (slang)

1. Successfully fixed up
2. Safe in hand
3. Ready for action
4. See also buttoned-up above

button up or button your lip (informal)

Be quiet

have all one's buttons (on) (informal)

To be completely sane

have one's finger on the button

To be poised for action

in his buttons

A conjectural reading in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor where the quarto has betmes, probably a misprint for talons

on the button (informal)

1. Exactly right
2. Precisely, exactly, punctually

press the button

To set in motion some momentous action, esp the launching of nuclear weapons against an enemy target

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• execution errors