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

She found Georgia-based print shops to make pink “Senator My Boo” buttons and has been working with local Democratic activists and volunteers to distribute them at Ossoff’s rallies, including one he held Sunday in Athens.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

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

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The faces of lions are delicately piped in three dimensions on the buttons of a piece based on a suit worn by Elizabeth Taylor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Darth Vader sports useless tape recorder-style buttons on his chest plate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

She washed the laundry in the river, making sure she didn’t break any buttons this time.

From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins

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