How to pronounce buttonhole
American English pronunciation
BUT-un-hohl
- IPA
- /ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/
- Syllables
- BUT · un · hohl (3 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What buttonhole means
Most people know buttonhole in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
To stop someone and keep them talking too long
In a sentence: A salesman buttonholed Dad at the front door and talked for an hour.
Where it comes from: It started out as buttonhold, a loop of string that held a button down, and changed to hole over time. The talking meaning comes from the same word.
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