button

A2 Topic:Clothing & Appearance

US /ˈbʌt.ən/ See IPA manual

Freq #2424

Meanings

1

noun
A small round object on clothing that fastens through a hole.

One of the buttons on my shirt fell off.
2

noun
A small part you press to operate a machine or device.

Press the green button to start the washing machine.
3

noun
A control on a screen that you click to make something happen.

Click the button to download the file.
4

verb
To fasten clothing using buttons.

She buttoned her coat against the cold wind.
5

noun
A round badge pinned to clothing to show a message.

They handed out campaign buttons to the voters.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a small part you press to... push

Word family

Forms buttonedbuttoningbuttonsunbuttoning

Derived forms bebuttonedbelly-buttonbellybuttonbutton-basherbutton-downbutton-holebutton-masherbutton-mashingbutton-onbutton-pusherbutton-quailbutton-up

Related forms switchtoggletrigger

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

panic button
a button pressed to call for help during an emergency

Noun + noun

Etymology

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.

boton Middle English bouter Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Clothing & Appearance

External links

# button

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈbʌt.ən/
**Frequency rank:** 2424

## Meanings
1. A small round object on clothing that fastens through a hole.
2. A small part you press to operate a machine or device.
3. A control on a screen that you click to make something happen.
4. To fasten clothing using buttons.
5. A round badge pinned to clothing to show a message.

## Examples
- One of the buttons on my shirt fell off.
- Press the green button to start the washing machine.
- Click the button to download the file.
- She buttoned her coat against the cold wind.
- They handed out campaign buttons to the voters.

## Derived Forms
- bebuttoned
- belly-button
- bellybutton
- button-basher
- button-down
- button-hole
- button-masher
- button-mashing
- button-on
- button-pusher
- button-quail
- button-up

## Related Forms
- switch
- toggle
- trigger

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: boton
- Root: bouter

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Button comes 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.

## Topics
- Clothing & Appearance

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