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• button
  button

  noun

  a small disk, knob, or the like for sewing or otherwise attaching to an article, as of clothing, serving as a fastening when passed through a buttonhole or loop.
• Button
  Button

  noun

  Richard Totten Dick, born 1929, U.S. figure skater.

button

¹ American  

[buht-n] / ˈbʌt n /

noun

• buttons
  plural

1. a small disk, knob, or the like for sewing or otherwise attaching to an article, as of clothing, serving as a fastening when passed through a buttonhole or loop.

2. anything resembling a button, especially in being small and round, as any of various candies, ornaments, tags, identification badges, reflectors, markers, etc.

3. a badge or emblem bearing a name, slogan, identifying figure, etc., for wear on the lapel, dress, etc..

   campaign buttons.

4. any small knob or disk pressed to activate an electric circuit, release a spring, or otherwise operate or open a machine, small door, toy, etc.

5. Botany. a bud or other protuberant part of a plant.

6. Mycology.

   1. a young or undeveloped mushroom.

   2. any protuberant part of a fungus.

7. Zoology. any of various small parts or structures resembling a button, as the rattle at the tip of the tail in a very young rattlesnake.

8. Boxing Informal. the point of the chin.

9. Also called turn button. a fastener for a door, window, etc., having two arms and rotating on a pivot that is attached to the frame.

10. Metallurgy. (in assaying) a small globule or lump of metal at the bottom of a crucible after fusion.

11. Fencing. the protective, blunting knob fixed to the point of a foil.

12. Horology. crown.

13. Computers. (in a graphical user interface) a small, button-shaped or clearly defined area that the user can click on or touch to choose an option.

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verb (used with object)

• buttons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• buttoned,
  past participle,  past
• buttoning
  present participle

1. to fasten with a button or buttons.

   She quickly buttoned her coat.

2. to insert (a button) in a buttonhole or loop.

   He buttoned the top button of his shirt.

3. to provide (something) with a button or buttons.

verb (used without object)

• buttons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• buttoned,
  past participle,  past
• buttoning
  present participle

1. to be capable of being buttoned.

   This coat buttons, but that one zips.

idioms

1. have all one's buttons, to be mentally competent, alert, and sane; have all one's wits.

   At 106 she still has all her buttons.

2. button up,

   1. Also button one's lip. to become or keep silent.

   2. to fasten securely; close up.

      Within a short time, everything on the submarine was buttoned up.

   3. to fasten fully or put on, especially an outer garment.

      Button up before going out.

   4. to complete successfully; finish.

      The report is all buttoned up.

3. on the button, exactly as desired, expected, specified, etc..

   The prediction for snow was right on the button.

Button ² American  

[buht-n] / ˈbʌt n /

noun

1. Richard Totten Dick, born 1929, U.S. figure skater.

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button British  

/ ˈbʌtən /

noun

1. a disc or knob of plastic, wood, etc, attached to a garment, etc, usually for fastening two surfaces together by passing it through a buttonhole or loop

2. a small round object, such as any of various sweets, decorations, or badges

3. a small disc that completes an electric circuit when pushed, as one that operates a doorbell or machine

4. a symbolic representation of a button on the screen of a computer that is notionally depressed by manipulating the mouse to initiate an action

5. biology any rounded knoblike part or organ, such as an unripe mushroom

6. fencing the protective knob fixed to the point of a foil

7. a small amount of metal, usually lead, with which gold or silver is fused, thus concentrating it during assaying

8. the piece of a weld that pulls out during the destructive testing of spot welds

9. rowing a projection around the loom of an oar that prevents it slipping through the rowlock

10. an object of no value (esp in the phrase not worth a button )

11. slang intellect; mental capacity (in such phrases as a button short , to have all one's buttons , etc)

12. informal exactly; precisely

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verb

1. to fasten with a button or buttons

2. (tr) to provide with buttons

3. (tr) fencing to hit (an opponent) with the button of one's foil

4. to stop talking: often imperative

button More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing button

• cute as a button
• have all one's buttons
• on the button
• push (press) someone's buttons
• push the panic button

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• buttoner
  noun
• misbutton
  verb (used with object)
• rebutton
  verb (used with object)
• buttonless
  adjective
• buttonlike
  adjective
• buttony
  adjective
• misbuttoned
  adjective
• well-buttoned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• buttons
  plural

Participles

• buttoning
  present
• buttoned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• button
  simple
• buttons
  simple
• have buttoned
  perfect
• has buttoned
  perfect
• am buttoning
  progressive
• are buttoning
  progressive
• is buttoning
  progressive
• have been buttoning
  perfect progressive
• has been buttoning
  perfect progressive

Past

• buttoned
  simple
• had buttoned
  perfect
• was buttoning
  progressive
• were buttoning
  progressive
• had been buttoning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will button
  simple
• will have buttoned
  perfect
• will be buttoning
  progressive
• will have been buttoning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of button

1275–1325; Middle English boto ( u ) n < Anglo-French: rosehip, button, stud; Middle French boton, equivalent to boter to butt ³ + -on noun suffix

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Explanation

A button is a small, flat, round object often found on clothing. It can also describe the round disc you press to turn on an electronic device, like the button you push to turn on your computer. The noun button also can refer to the little round billboards people pin to their clothes to display their favorite political candidate, band, organization, or saying. Button can also be a verb, which describes the act of fastening buttons, like when you button your shirt. Or if you work at an electronics factory, your job might be to button, or attach buttons to, a cell phone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

button Button buttons buttoned buttoning

It's a sign that, with practically every song ever recorded available at the press of a button, people are increasingly seeking out the classics - or what the music industry categorises as "deep catalogue".

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

You can also use the stop-start defeat button but you have to press it every time you start the car.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Players can now freely control the camera, and this time Link can jump with the press of a button.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The “sparkle” icon was at the vanguard of this trend, a magical-looking diamond that suggested something incredible was behind the door if you just clicked that button.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

So she pressed a button on the wall, the door slid open, and she stepped inside.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Appeared in the September 8, 2026, print edition as 'Europe Hits the Snooze Button'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

The “Lover” singer is known to have a very soft spot for her own pets: three cats, named Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026

A credit aimed narrowly at post-production work currently being done elsewhere would be more effective, Button said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

For peak-time matches there will be the option of watching games with BBC Radio 5 Live commentary on the Red Button, iPlayer and website.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

“Shredded Beef with Peppers,” she’d announce, forehead damp, or “Squid with Button Mushrooms.”

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

By popular demand, the capacitive switches on the Roma’s steering wheel have been replaced with tactile buttons and controllers—including, Ferrari says, the return of the iconic Start button.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

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

Life is demanding, and everyone wants something that presses on the “good feeling” buttons in our brains.

From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026

“If they can kind of identify each other, wear the buttons or hand them out to the community, it’s kind of a signal,” she said.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

What he’d thought were stones was actually a rumpled gray shirt, its buttons larger than Jack’s head.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Traditionally Coke would have buttoned up term sheets before showing off new drinks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

It’s good the NFL isn’t as buttoned up as it used to be regarding its public image, although it’s probably wishing this story would go away.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Appearing remotely via video-link wearing a partially buttoned pale blue shirt, Brand, the ex-husband of popstar Katy Perry, only spoke to confirm his name and his date of birth.

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

A year after graduating, he began designing menswear at Stirling Copper and was responsible for the body-hugging, buttoned trousers Sir Mick Jagger wore during The Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter tour in 1969.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

Her cold fingers whispered across my chest as she buttoned my shirt.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

Instead of clocking into a cubicle for a traditional 9-to-5 and buttoning corporate uniforms each morning, some new grads are spinning records from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. or writing Substack newsletters from cafes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Navalny spent months in a punishment cell for not buttoning his uniform properly or not putting his hands behind his back when required.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2024

A smart person would respond to Carroll's new court filing by buttoning up.

From Salon ● May 24, 2023

On Instagram, Matthews shared updates of the twins, capturing moments such as La'Niyah buttoning up her sister’s sweater and the family out on a long bike ride.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2022

Her veil and linen duster were on the floor beside the bee, which she had stomped to death, and Miss Love was buttoning her shirtwaist.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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Related Words

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