unbutton

[ uhn-buht-n ]

/ ʌnˈbʌt n /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unbutton ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to free (buttons) from buttonholes; unfasten or undo.

to unfasten by or as if by unbuttoning: to unbutton a jacket.

to disclose (one's feelings, thoughts, etc.) after deliberate or prolonged silence.

verb (used without object)

to unfasten a button or one's buttons.

RELATED WORDS

loose, open, undo

Nearby words

Origin of unbutton

First recorded in 1275–1325, unbutton is from the Middle English word unbotenen. See un-², button

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unbutton

Raise: Unbutton the flap of the holster with the right hand and grasp the stock, back of the hand outward.
Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army|War Department.
Perhaps he'll unbutton after a bottle or two of champagne, or at any rate a third.
Modeste Mignon|Honore de Balzac
Then he commenced to pant, to feel suffocated, and he had to unbutton his shirt-collar and his belt.
The works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 5 (of 8)|Guy de Maupassant 1850-1893
His only reaction to this was to step forward and continue to unbutton her blouse.
Ten From Infinity|Paul W. Fairman

It will be cold to unbutton, but if I only know that it's getting near morning I shall at any rate feel more cheerful.
Master and Man|Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for unbutton

unbutton

/ (ʌnˈbʌtən) /

verb

to undo by unfastening (the buttons) of (a garment)

informal to release or relax (oneself, tension, etc)

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

Word Origin and History for unbutton

unbutton

early 14c., from un- (2) "opposite of" + button (v.). Related: Unbuttoned; unbuttoning.