button
noun /ˈbʌtn/
/ˈbʌtn/
Idioms 
enlarge imagea small round piece of metal, plastic, etc. that is sewn onto a piece of clothing and used for fastening two parts together- (British English) to do up/undo your buttons
- (North American English) to button/unbutton your buttons
- to sew on a button
- shirt buttons
- a row of gilt buttons
- One of the buttons on his jacket was missing.
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashiona2- My coat has lost a button.
- The top button of his shirt was undone.
- There was a button missing from his shirt.
- His fingers fumbled to do up/button the small buttons on his shirt.
- I need to sew this button back on.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bottom
- top
- coat
- …
- button
- do up
- fasten
- …
- be missing
- come off
enlarge imagea small part of a machine that you press to make it work- the start/stop/pause button
- Adam pressed a button and waited for the lift.
- Choose ‘printer’ from the menu and click with the right mouse button.
- She pushed a button on the control panel.
- I hit the play button on the remote.
- The windows slide down at the touch of a button.
- With a push of a button, I can print out everything I need.
Extra ExamplesTopics Engineeringa2- She hit the alarm button as fast as she could.
- The remote control allows you to change channel at the touch of a button.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- on
- start
- off
- …
- click
- depress
- hit
- …
- at the touch of a button
- have your finger on
- keep your finger on
- …
- a small area on a computer screen that you click on to make it do something
- Click on the back button to go back to the previous screen.
- Click the ‘Finish’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
- I hit the ‘Reply’ button in the mail toolbar.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- on
- start
- off
- …
- click
- depress
- hit
- …
- at the touch of a button
- have your finger on
- keep your finger on
- …
- (especially North American English) a badge, especially one with a message printed on it
enlarge image- He wore a button saying ‘Life begins at 40!’
Extra Examples- She wore a ‘Vote Yes’ lapel button.
- The candidates all distributed campaign buttons and bumper stickers.
- They all wore buttons saying ‘Stop the war’.
- He carries around an old backpack with peace buttons on it.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lapel
- campaign
- peace
- …
- wear
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French bouton, of Germanic origin and related to the verb butt.
Idioms
(as) bright as a button
- (British English, informal) intelligent and quick to understandMore Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms
- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots
on the button (informal, especially North American English)
- at exactly the right time or at the exact time mentioned
- We arrived at 4 o'clock on the button.
- exactly right
- You're on the button there!
push all the (right) buttons
(also press all the (right) buttons especially in British English)
- (informal) to do exactly the right things to please somebody
- a new satirical comedy show that pushes all the right buttons
push somebody’s buttons
(also press somebody’s buttons especially in British English)
- (informal) to make somebody react in either a positive or a negative way
- I've known him for years, but I still don't know what pushes his buttons.