buttons

American

[buht-nz] / ˈbʌt nz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

a bellboy or page in a hotel.

buttons British

/ ˈbʌtənz /

noun

informal (functioning as singular) a page boy

"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

Etymology

Origin of buttons

First recorded in 1840–50; so called from the many buttons of his uniform

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

buttons

Ermanno Scervino, for his part, unveiled a "corsair" woman, in a wide red and beige jacket with gold buttons, worn over a mini-short.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

There are Oompa-Loompas of various sizes, including Rusty Goffe, from the 1971 film, who perform Oompa-Loompa dances and sing Oompa-Loompa songs and are seen offstage pushing buttons and pulling levers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Her hands shook as she punched the buttons into the safe’s keypad, entering the wrong combination.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Watch the mushrooms more than the clock; a mix containing oyster mushrooms behaves differently than a pan full of white buttons.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

His eyes shone as he pressed buttons on the walkie-talkie, and waited while the hook-handed man answered.

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023