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.
anything resembling a button, especially in being small and round, as any of various candies, ornaments, tags, identification badges, reflectors, markers, etc.
a badge or emblem bearing a name, slogan, identifying figure, etc., for wear on the lapel, dress, etc..
campaign buttons.
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.
Botany. a bud or other protuberant part of a plant.
Mycology.
a young or undeveloped mushroom.
any protuberant part of a fungus.
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.
Boxing Informal. the point of the chin.
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.
Metallurgy. (in assaying) a small globule or lump of metal at the bottom of a crucible after fusion.
Fencing. the protective, blunting knob fixed to the point of a foil.
Horology. crown.
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.
to fasten with a button or buttons.
She quickly buttoned her coat.
to insert (a button) in a buttonhole or loop.
He buttoned the top button of his shirt.
to provide (something) with a button or buttons.
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.
button up,
Also button one's lip. to become or keep silent.
to fasten securely; close up.
Within a short time, everything on the submarine was buttoned up.
to fasten fully or put on, especially an outer garment.
Button up before going out.
to complete successfully; finish.
The report is all buttoned up.
on the button, exactly as desired, expected, specified, etc..
The prediction for snow was right on the button.
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
a small round object, such as any of various sweets, decorations, or badges
a small disc that completes an electric circuit when pushed, as one that operates a doorbell or machine
a symbolic representation of a button on the screen of a computer that is notionally depressed by manipulating the mouse to initiate an action
biology any rounded knoblike part or organ, such as an unripe mushroom
fencing the protective knob fixed to the point of a foil
a small amount of metal, usually lead, with which gold or silver is fused, thus concentrating it during assaying
the piece of a weld that pulls out during the destructive testing of spot welds
rowing a projection around the loom of an oar that prevents it slipping through the rowlock
an object of no value (esp in the phrase not worth a button )
slang intellect; mental capacity (in such phrases as a button short , to have all one's buttons , etc)
informal exactly; precisely
to fasten with a button or buttons
(tr) to provide with buttons
(tr) fencing to hit (an opponent) with the button of one's foil
to stop talking: often imperative
1275–1325; Middle English boto ( u ) n < Anglo-French: rosehip, button, stud; Middle French boton, equivalent to boter to butt 3 + -on noun suffix
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pronto advertises hourly services ranging from window cleaning to "after-party express clean-ups", while Urban Company offers everything from repairs to salon treatments at the touch of a button.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
"What we're not about is loading something on a machine and pressing a button."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Tough headwinds have the industry eyeing the reset button.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
I find myself not watching the road while I search for the correct button or icon to turn on the air conditioner or change entertainment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Trey led me to his elisi’s vintage golden minivan, parked in one of the stalls, and pressed the button to open the trunk.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Last year she was crowned the PF International X30 junior champion - a series where F1 world champions Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Jenson Button have previously enjoyed victories.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Button won the drivers’ title—and the Brawn team eventually morphed into modern Mercedes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
"The risk of a falling dollar is that that inflation re-accelerates," said Button, who sees a risk that investors will view a declining dollar as a sign other US assets should be avoided.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Button won back-to-back Olympic men’s titles in 1948 and 1952, as well as five consecutive world championships and seven U.S. titles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
I glanced back over at the bookshelf that concealed the Big Red Button.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
But to see him moving the levers and pushing buttons was fascinating.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
On Friday, Ohtani handed back over pitch-calling duties, communicating with head shakes and nods instead of the PitchCom buttons on his arm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
White had his players sit on the stage, meditate, push the audience’s buttons just so far, then rise to play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
However, Kathryn said she tried everything to stop "intrusive" adverts but updating her settings or clicking on mark as spam buttons did not prevent baby adverts popping up on her feeds weeks after a miscarriage.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
When Gram saw them, they had butterfly wings and hats and tunics made with bits of thread and spare buttons they had managed to pluck from unsuspecting humans who wandered too close to the forest.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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
As he buttoned up a professional baseball uniform for the first time in his life, he understood that he was becoming the guinea pig in an experiment that has the whole industry watching.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
“He knows how to walk a deal through step by step to make sure that everything is complete and buttoned up,” Buss said, “and that’s exactly what happened.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
She put her dress on and Versh buttoned it.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
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
Ms Thompson said that despite 2024 looking like it will be a challenging year, households are very good at adapting to a new lending landscape and "buttoning down the hatches."
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2023
“Maybe if they need help buttoning their pants, I’ll have them come out of the bathroom and I’ll help them, but that’s it,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
We got home from school and found Uncle Darnell buttoning his shirt, getting ready to go out.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
