buttonhole

[ buht-n-hohl ]

/ ˈbʌt nˌhoʊl /

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See synonyms for: buttonhole / buttonholed / buttonholing on Thesaurus.com

noun

the hole, slit, or loop through which a button is passed and by which it is secured.

Chiefly British. a boutonniere.

Surgery. a short, straight incision through the wall of a cavity or a canal.

verb (used with object), but·ton·holed, but·ton·hol·ing.

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.

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Origin of buttonhole

First recorded in 1555–65; button + hole

OTHER WORDS FROM buttonhole

but·ton·hol·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use buttonhole in a sentence

Gay marriage was the hot-button fight on the left and right.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His monotonous music is, really, like the audio soundtrack to a k-hole.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I rolled him over to see where it came out, and there was no big hole in the back.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Well over a thousand holes in, I average less than four strokes per hole.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Before he could finish the sentence the Hole-keeper said snappishly, "Well, drop out again—quick!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Kind of a reception-room in there—guess I know a reception-room from a hole in the wall.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Squinty, several times, looked at the hole under the pen, by which he had once gotten out.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
"I verily believe they're gone to look at my button," cried Davy, beginning to laugh, in spite of his fears.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Madame and myself had just been regretting that we should have to pass the evening in this miserable hole of a town.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

British Dictionary definitions for buttonhole

buttonhole

/ (ˈbʌtənˌhəʊl) /

noun

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, etcUS name: boutonniere

verb (tr)

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

buttonhole

Origin of buttonhole

OTHER WORDS FROM buttonhole

Words related to buttonhole

How to use buttonhole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for buttonhole