Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tool for fastening buttons: A "buttonhook" is a small, handheld tool, typically a thin rod with a hook at one end, designed to pull a button through a buttonhole, especially on tight-fitting or stiff garments like shoes, gloves, or dresses.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She used a buttonhook to fasten her high-button boots.
  • The antique buttonhook was made of silver and ivory.
  • Before zippers were common, a buttonhook was an essential dressing aid.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The buttonhook was a common household item in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often ornately decorated and sometimes part of a gentleman's or lady's dressing set.
• Collectible Item: Antique buttonhooks are now collected for their historical value and craftsmanship.

Variants and Related Words

• Buttonhook (verb, rare): The act of using a buttonhook.
  • He had to buttonhook the tiny closures on his uniform.
• Button (noun): The fastening object the tool is used with.
• Buttonhole (noun): The slit the button is pulled through.

Synonyms

• Fastening tool: A general term for any device used to secure clothing.
• Dressing aid: A broader category of tools used to assist in putting on clothing.

Related Phrases

• "To hook a button": A descriptive phrase for the action performed with a buttonhook.
  • It was difficult to hook the button through the stiff new leather.

Notes

• The word is a closed compound noun formed from "button" + "hook." Its use has declined significantly with the advent of modern fasteners like zippers, Velcro, and elastic, but it remains a specific term for a historical artifact and tool.

Noun

1. a hook for pulling a button through a buttonhole