# buttons

/ˈbətənz/ (US) · /bˈʌtənz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/buttons
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. clothing fasteners

noun · CEFR A1

small, round objects on clothes that you push through holes to keep the garment closed.

For teachers: small disks or knobs sewn onto a garment to be pushed through a buttonhole as a fastener.

- The buttons on his shirt were so small he had trouble closing them.
- She replaced the plastic buttons on the vintage coat with ornate brass ones to give it a more sophisticated appearance.

### 2. machine controls

noun · CEFR A1

parts of a machine or computer that you press to make it do something.

For teachers: small parts of an apparatus that are pressed to operate a device or trigger an electronic circuit.

- Don't press any buttons until the screen tells you to start.
- The technician explained that the red buttons were reserved for emergency shutdowns and should never be touched during routine operations.

### 3. remote control

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Dialect

an informal name for a television remote control.

For teachers: a colloquial metonym for a remote control device, typically used in domestic settings.

- Pass me the buttons so I can change the channel to the news.
- In some regional dialects, families still refer to the television remote as 'the buttons', though this usage is declining among younger speakers.

### 4. sanity or mind

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

your mental health or ability to think clearly.

For teachers: a person's mental faculties or sanity; used in the idiom 'to lose one's buttons'.

- After working three night shifts in a row, I think I'm losing my buttons.
- The stress of the trial led many to believe the defendant had finally lost his buttons, as his testimony became increasingly erratic.

## Examples

- I need to sew two buttons onto my shirt.
- The elevator didn't move because the floor buttons were stuck and wouldn't light up.
- While modern interfaces often rely on touchscreens, physical buttons remain essential for critical safety controls that require tactile feedback and immediate response.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.