buttonhole
Chiefly British. a boutonniere.
Surgery. a short, straight incision through the wall of a cavity or a canal.
to sew with a buttonhole stitch.
to make buttonholes in.
to hold by the buttonhole or otherwise abruptly detain (someone) in conversation: The reporter tried to buttonhole the mayor for a statement on the bus strike.
Origin of buttonhole
1Other words from buttonhole
- but·ton·hol·er, noun
Words Nearby buttonhole
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use buttonhole in a sentence
The details are all business, including four-hole buttons that never loosened or stretched the buttonholes during months of daily wear and regular washing.
It was impossible to build a relationship at the bedside or buttonhole doctors on their rounds, the way they could have in non-pandemic times.
Dutifully and admiringly, she records what would easily go unnoticed — the stitching on a buttonhole, the irregularities of a shadow.
World class: Remembering legendary travel writer Jan Morris | Liza Weisstuch | December 10, 2020 | Washington PostSamuel P. Jacobs talks to Ken Mehlman about how he helped buttonhole and raise bucks for victory.
And there on the quay, with a flower in his buttonhole and a smile on his fat face, stood Mr. Ras Fendihook.
Jaffery | William J. Locke
Cut the buttonhole slot, then punch a hole at the end with an ordinary belt punch.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousIn making the buttonhole stitch, keep the needle close against the metal edge of the guide, as shown.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousIt is almost impossible to make a perfect buttonhole in the ordinary manner by hand without a guide.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | Various"You will find out by and by," said Uncle William, coming in with a red rose in his buttonhole.
The Story of the Big Front Door | Mary Finley Leonard
British Dictionary definitions for buttonhole
/ (ˈbʌtənˌhəʊl) /
a slit in a garment, etc, through which a button is passed to fasten two surfaces together
a flower or small bunch of flowers worn pinned to the lapel or in the buttonhole, esp at weddings, formal dances, etc: US name: boutonniere
to detain (a person) in conversation
to make buttonholes in
to sew with buttonhole stitch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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