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button¹

  • /ˈbʌtən/ US, UK, Southern England
  • [ˈbʌtʰən] ~ [ˈbʌtʰn̩] US, UK, Southern England
  • [ˈbʌt̚n̩] US, UK, Southern England
  • /ˈbʌʔən/
  • [ˈbʌʔən] ~ [ˈbʌʔn̩]
  • /ˈbɐtən/ Australia, General South African, New Zealand
  • [ˈbɐtʰən] Australia, General South African, New Zealand
  • /ˈbʊtən/ Northern England
  • /ˈbɐton/ Philippines
  • /ˈbətən/ Singapore

Rhymes with -ʌtən

Where it comes from

From Middle English boton, botoun, from Old French boton (Modern French bouton), from Old French bouter, boter (“to push; thrust”), ultimately from a Germanic language. Doublet of bouton, Biden, and beat. More at butt.

noun buttons · btn

  1. A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper.
  2. A mechanical device designed to be pressed with a finger in order to open or close an electric circuit or to activate a mechanism. Pat pushed the button marked "shred" on the blender.
  3. An on-screen control that can be selected as an activator of an attached function. Click the button that looks like a house to return to your browser's home page.
  4. US A badge worn on clothes, fixed with a pin through the fabric. The politician wore a bright yellow button with the slogan "Vote Smart" emblazoned on it.
  5. A bud. O queen Emilia, / Fresher than May, sweeter / Than her gold buttons on the boughs,
  6. The calyx of an orange. Not well healed, or aggregating more than a circle 14 inch in diameter on a 200 size orange. More than a few adjacent to the "button" at the stem end or more than 6 scattered on other portions of the fruit.
  7. The head of an unexpanded mushroom.
  8. slang The clitoris.
  9. The center (bullseye) of the house.
  10. The soft circular tip at the end of a foil.
  11. A plastic disk used to represent the person in last position in a poker game; also dealer's button.
  12. The player who is last to act after the flop, turn and river, who possesses the button.
  13. archaic A person who acts as a decoy.
  14. A raised pavement marker to further indicate the presence of a pavement-marking painted stripe.
  15. The end of a runway. In attempting to touch down on the button of the runway, he misjudged his altitude and struck a pile of rocks short of the runway. The right wheel was torn off and the gear leg bent backwards.
  16. South Africa, slang A methaqualone tablet (used as a recreational drug).
  17. A piece of wood or metal, usually flat and elongated, turning on a nail or screw, to fasten something, such as a door.
  18. A globule of metal remaining on an assay cupel or in a crucible, after fusion.
  19. A knob; a small ball; a small, roundish mass.
  20. A small white blotch on a cat's coat.
  21. UK, archaic A unit of length equal to ¹⁄₁₂ inch.
  22. The means for initiating a nuclear strike or similar cataclysmic occurrence. Pandora's box of holocausts gracefully cruising satellite infested heavens, waiting, the season of the button, the penultimate migration, radioactive perfumes for the fashionably, for the terminally, insane.
  23. The oblate spheroidal mass of glass attaching a stem to either its bowl or foot.
  24. In an instrument of the violin family, the near-semicircular shape extending from the top of the back plate of the instrument, meeting the heel of the neck.
  25. Synonym of endbutton, part of a violin-family instrument.

    Similar: endbutton, part of a violin-family instrument

  26. Synonym of adjuster.

    Similar: adjuster

  27. The least amount of care or interest; a whit or jot. 'She has heard from us this morning,' said Mr. Gamble, grinning on his watch, 'and she knows all by this time, and 'tisn't a button to her.'
  28. The punchy or suspenseful line of dialogue that concludes a scene. One thing you definitely don't want to do is write past the button. For example, a scene's natural button might run something like this: TONY: That kind of talk is exactly what I'm talking about. Whereas an example of writing past the button would sound something like this: TONY: That kind of talk i

    Similar: blow

  29. The final joke at the end of a comedic act (such as a sketch, set, or scene). Scenes usually go out on a laugh line, a stinger or a button. End your script with a twist!
  30. slang A button man; a professional assassin. FREDO: Mikey, why would they ever hit poor old Frankie Five-Angels? I loved that ole sonuvabitch. I remember when he was just a 'button,' when we were kids.
  31. The final segment of a rattlesnake's rattle. Hardly a rattler is ever reported in the newspapers unless it is stated to have had "blank rattles and a button". But here button usually means the terminal lobe of the last rattle, even though the string may not be complete, the true button and additional rattles having been lost.
  32. Southern US, dated A clove (of garlic).
  33. Pedicle; the attachment point for antlers in cervids.

button²

  • /ˈbʌtən/ US, UK, Southern England
  • [ˈbʌtʰən] ~ [ˈbʌtʰn̩] US, UK, Southern England
  • [ˈbʌt̚n̩] US, UK, Southern England
  • /ˈbʌʔən/
  • [ˈbʌʔən] ~ [ˈbʌʔn̩]
  • /ˈbɐtən/ Australia, General South African, New Zealand
  • [ˈbɐtʰən] Australia, General South African, New Zealand
  • /ˈbʊtən/ Northern England
  • /ˈbɐton/ Philippines
  • /ˈbətən/ Singapore

Rhymes with -ʌtən

Where it comes from

From Middle English butonen, botonen, from the noun (see above).

verb buttons · buttoning · buttoned · btn

  1. transitive To fasten with a button. He was a tall, fat, long-bodied man, buttoned up to the throat in a tight green coat.
  2. intransitive To be fastened by a button or buttons. The coat will not button.
  3. informal To stop talking.

Button³

proper noun Buttons

  1. countable A surname originating as an occupation for a maker or seller of buttons.
  2. countable, uncountable A township in Ford County, Illinois, United States.

Button⁴

proper noun

  1. alternative Alternative form of Buton (“Indonesian island”).

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: push button, push, clit, clitoris, cuff, bottom, key, bar, knob, click, pushbutton, holing, touch, toggle, plug, switch

Translations

Every language

noun knob or small disc serving as a fastener

Españolbotón, brochón
한국어단추 danchu, 버튼 beoteun
日本語ボタン botan
中文釦子 /扣子 kòuzi
हिन्दीबटन baṭan
Portuguêsbotão
Françaisbouton
DeutschKnopf
Italianobottone
Ελληνικάκουμπί koumpí
Românănasture, buton
Русскийпу́говица púgovica
Tiếng Việtcúc, nút, khuy
العربيةزِرّ zirr
עבריתכַּפתוֹר kaftor

noun a mechanical device meant to be pressed with a finger

Españolbotón, pulsador, llamador
한국어버튼 beoteun, 단추 danchu
日本語ボタン botan
中文按鈕 /按钮 ànniǔ
हिन्दीबटन baṭan
Kiswahilikitufe
Portuguêsbotão
Françaisbouton, touche
DeutschTaste, Knopf
Italianopulsante
Ελληνικάκουμπί koumpí, κομβίον komvíon
Românăbuton
Русскийкно́пка knópka
Tiếng Việtnút bấm, nút
العربيةزِرّ zirr
עבריתכַּפתוֹר kaftor

noun in computer software, an on-screen control that can be selected

Españolbotón, pulsador
日本語ボタン botan
中文按鈕 /按钮 ànniǔ
Kiswahilikitufe
Portuguêsbotão
Françaisbouton
DeutschSchaltfläche, Button
Românăbuton
Русскийкно́пка knópka

noun a badge worn on clothes

Españolbotón, prendedor
日本語バッジ bajji
中文小徽章 xiǎo huī zhāng
Portuguêsbottom, botão
Françaisbadge, macaron
Ελληνικάσήμα síma
Românăbuton
Русскийзначо́к značók

noun botany: a bud

Españolbotón
中文芽 yá
Portuguêsbotão
Françaisbouton, bourgeon
DeutschKnospe
Ελληνικάμπουμπούκι boumpoúki
Русскийпо́чка póčka

noun slang: clitoris

中文花蕾 huālěi
Portuguêsgrelo

noun fencing: a soft tip of the foil

Русскийкно́пка knópka

noun a raised pavement marker

Françaisclou

verb to be fastened with a button

Españolabotonarse, abrocharse

verb to fasten with a button

Españolabotonar, abrochar
中文扣 kòu
Portuguêsabotoar
Françaisboutonner
Ελληνικάκουμπώνω koumpóno
Русскийзастёгивать zastjógivatʹ, застегну́ть zastegnútʹ

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Cite this
MLA

"button." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/button. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

button. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/button

Chicago

"button." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/button.

BibTeX
@misc{button_2026,
  title = {button},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/button},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}