button-down

[buht-n-doun]

adjective

1. (of a shirt collar) having buttonholes so it can be buttoned to the body of the shirt.

2. (of a shirt) having a button-down collar.

3. (of a shirt) having buttons down the front from the collar to the bottom.

4. Also buttoned-down (especially of attitudes, opinions, etc.) extremely conventional; unimaginative.

button-down

adjective

1. (of a collar) having points that are fastened to the garment with buttons

2. (of a shirt) having a button-down collar

3. Also: buttoned-down. conventional or conservative

   a button-down corporate culture

Word History and Origins

Origin of button-down¹

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35