button (ˈbʌtən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) |
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| —n |
| 1. | a disc or knob of plastic, wood, etc, attached to a garment, etc, usually for fastening two surfaces together by passing it through a buttonhole or loop |
| 2. | a small round object, such as any of various sweets, decorations, or badges |
| 3. | a small disc that completes an electric circuit when pushed, as one that operates a doorbell or machine |
| 4. | a symbolic representation of a button on the screen of a computer that is notionally depressed by manipulating the mouse to initiate an action |
| 5. | biology any rounded knoblike part or organ, such as an unripe mushroom |
| 6. | fencing the protective knob fixed to the point of a foil |
| 7. | a small amount of metal, usually lead, with which gold or silver is fused, thus concentrating it during assaying |
| 8. | the piece of a weld that pulls out during the destructive testing of spot welds |
| 9. | rowing a projection around the loom of an oar that prevents it slipping through the rowlock |
| 10. | (Brit) an object of no value (esp in the phrase not worth a button) |
| 11. | slang intellect; mental capacity (in such phrases as a button short, to have all one's buttons, etc) |
| 12. | informal on the button exactly; precisely |
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| —vb |
| 13. | to fasten with a button or buttons |
| 14. | (tr) to provide with buttons |
| 15. | (tr) fencing to hit (an opponent) with the button of one's foil |
| 16. | button one's lip, button up one's lip, button one's mouth, button up one's mouth to stop talking: often imperative |
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| [C14: from Old French boton, from boter to thrust, butt, of Germanic origin; see butt³] |
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| 'buttoner |
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| —n |
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| 'buttonless |
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| —adj |
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| 'buttony |
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| —adj |