buttonhole
/'bʌtnhoul/
Definition
Noun:
- A slit or hole in a garment through which a button is passed to fasten it: A "buttonhole" is specifically the opening designed to receive and secure a button.
- A flower or small bouquet worn in a buttonhole or on the lapel: This meaning refers to a decorative ornament, often a flower, worn on clothing, typically through a buttonhole or pinned nearby.
Verb:
- To detain someone in conversation, often in a persistent or inconvenient manner: To "buttonhole" someone means to stop them and engage them in talk, typically in a way that is difficult to escape from.
Examples
Noun:
- I need to sew this buttonhole more securely. (The opening for the button needs repair.)
- He wore a red carnation in his buttonhole for the wedding. (A flower was worn as decoration on his lapel.)
Verb:
- The reporter managed to buttonhole the senator as he left the building. (The reporter stopped and detained the senator for conversation.)
Advanced Usage
"to make a buttonhole": to create the slit for a button, often as part of sewing.
- After attaching the button, she learned how to make a buttonhole by hand.
"buttonhole stitch": a specific, strong stitch used to reinforce the edges of a buttonhole.
- The durability of the buttonhole depends on using a proper buttonhole stitch.
Variants and Related Words
- Buttonholer (n): A person who buttonholes others, or a sewing machine attachment for making buttonholes.
- Buttonholing (n/gerund): The act of detaining someone in conversation.
Synonyms
- Noun (for the hole): Slit, opening.
- Noun (for the flower): Boutonniere, lapel flower.
- Verb: Accost, waylay, detain, corner.
Related Phrases
- To be/put in a buttonhole: To be worn as a boutonniere.
- The small rose was put in his buttonhole.
Idioms
- "To have a bee in one's buttonhole" (archaic/rare): To be obsessed with a particular idea or topic.
- He has a bee in his buttonhole about recycling; he talks about it constantly. (This idiom connects to the verb meaning of persistent talk.)
Noun
-
a hole through which buttons are pushed
Verb
-
detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of; as for political or economic favors
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