buttonholer

but·ton·hole

 (bŭt′n-hōl′)

n.

1. A small slit in a garment or piece of fabric for fastening a button.

2. Chiefly British A boutonniere.

tr.v. but·ton·holed, but·ton·hol·ing, but·ton·holes

1. To make a buttonhole in.

2. To sew with a buttonhole stitch.

3. To accost and detain (a person) in conversation: "He was also frequently buttonholed by White House lobbyists" (Terence Moran).

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[V., sense 3, probably alteration of button-hold.]

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but′ton·hol′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

buttonholer

(ˈbʌtənhəʊlə)

n

a person who buttonholes

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014