button

button
\ \ [14] Button comes via Old French bouton from Vulgar Latin *botōne, a word connected with the verb *hottārethrust’ (from which ultimately English gets butthit with the head’).
\ \ The underlying notion contained in button is thus of something which pushes up, thrusts itself outwards, rather like a bud growing on a plant; the fact that the resulting round knob is used for fastening is, from the point of view of the word’s semantic history, secondary. (Inconclusive attempts have in fact been made to link bud with Old French boter, a descendant of Vulgar Latin *bottāre, and from the 15th century the word button has been applied in English to ‘buds’.)
\ \ Cf.BUTT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Button — (engl. für Knopf) ist ein Bedienelement in grafischen Benutzeroberflächen; siehe Schaltfläche die englische Bezeichnung für Taste/Knopf, siehe auch Button mashing (bei Computerspielen) eine Form von Anstecknadeln, die in den 1980er Jahren populär …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • button — but‧ton [ˈbʌtn] noun [countable] 1. something that you press to make a machine or piece of electrical equipment do something : • She got in the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. • What happens if I push this button? 2. COMPUTING… …   Financial and business terms

  • Button — But ton, n. [OE. boton, botoun, F. bouton button, bud, prop. something pushing out, fr. bouter to push. See {Butt} an end.] 1. A knob; a small ball; a small, roundish mass. [1913 Webster] 2. A catch, of various forms and materials, used to fasten …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • button ad — ˈbutton ad also ˈbutton adˌvertisement, button noun [countable] MARKETING an advertisement in a small square or circle on a webpage: • Button ads are a cheap but effective way of advertising your company s products. * * * …   Financial and business terms

  • button — [but′ n] n. [ME botoun < OFr boton, a button, bud < buter: see BUTT2] 1. any small disk, knob, etc. used as a fastening or ornament, as one put through a buttonhole on a garment 2. anything small and shaped like a button; specif., a) a… …   English World dictionary

  • button — ► NOUN 1) a small disc or knob sewn on to a garment to fasten it by being pushed through a buttonhole. 2) a knob on a piece of electrical or electronic equipment which is pressed to operate it. 3) chiefly N. Amer. a decorative badge pinned to… …   English terms dictionary

  • button — mid 13c. (implied in botouner button maker ), from O.Fr. boton (Fr. bouton) a button, bud (12c.), from bouter, boter to thrust (see BUTT (Cf. butt) (v.)). Thus a button is, etymologically, something that pushes up, or thrusts out. The verb is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Button — But ton, v. i. To be fastened by a button or buttons; as, the coat will not button. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Button — But ton, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Buttoned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Buttoning}.] [OE. botonen, OF. botoner, F. boutonner. See {Button}, n.] 1. To fasten with a button or buttons; to inclose or make secure with buttons; often followed by up. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • button it — informal + impolite used to tell someone to stop talking She angrily told him to button it. • • • Main Entry: ↑button …   Useful english dictionary

  • button — [n1] fastener catch, clasp, fastening, frog, knob, stud; concepts 445,471 button [n2] pushbutton adjuster, dial, knob, on/off, power switch, switch, toggle, tuner; concept 201 …   New thesaurus

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