buttonwood

American  

[buht-n-wood] / ˈbʌt nˌwʊd /

noun

1. Chiefly Eastern New England. sycamore.

---

buttonwood British  

/ ˈbʌtənˌwʊd /

noun

1. Also called: buttonball.  a North American plane tree, Platanus occidentalis See plane tree

2. a small West Indian tree, Conocarpus erectus , with button-like fruits and heavy hard compact wood: family Combretaceae

---

Etymology

Origin of buttonwood

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75; button + wood ¹

Example Sentences

Named for a favorite buttonwood tree on Wall Street, the agreement pledged the signers to trade only with one another, and at set rates.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

Since that document was signed on May 17, 1792, by 24 stockbrokers who often conducted business under a buttonwood tree outside 68 Wall St., the financial markets have eagerly embraced new technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 28, 2025

Mind you, 1792 was when two dozen brokers met under a buttonwood tree in Lower Manhattan to shake hands on what would ultimately become the New York Stock Exchange.

From BusinessWeek • May 31, 2012

The exchange was founded in 1792 when share trading began under a buttonwood tree on a block now designated as Wall Street.

From Reuters • Jul. 7, 2011

White cherry trees and silvery buttonwood hedges lined the marble walkway, and security on this side of the bridge seemed decidedly more relaxed.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo