1. The hole or slit through which a button passes.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtier (1577), M iij a. Thou shalt one daye be the botton, and the haulter shall be the buttonhole.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 1608. A button hole, ansula.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2094/4. One sad-coloured Cloth Sute with Gold Buttons and Button-holes.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, III. 339. With an ink-horn and pen in his button-hole.
1863. Kingsley, Water-bab., 5. With a … flower in his button-hole.
b. colloq. phrase. To take one down a button-hole or a button-hole lower: to humiliate or take the conceit out of him. (Cf. to take one down a peg.)
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 706. Master, let me take you a button hole lower.
1593. Peele, Edw. I. On my word, I’ll take you down a button-hole.
1655. Heywood, Fort. by Land, &c. II. ii. Wks. 1874, VI. 387. You are taken a button-hole lower.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., iv. 21. Better mind yerselves, or I’ll take ye down a button-hole lower.
2. transf. An opening like a button-hole.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 74. The raveled button-holes of her blear eyes.
1862. Temple Bar Mag., IV. 419. The little red button-hole of a mouth.
3. colloq. Short for button-hole flower, bouquet.
1879. E. H. Marshall, in My Sunday Friend, March, 19. The little girl who sold him a button-hole.
1881. Mary C. Hay, Missing, III. 239. A dainty little buttonhole of tinted leaves.
1883. J. Hatton, in Harper’s Mag., Nov., 840/2. A button-hole of hyacinths.
4. attrib., as in button-hole flower, scissors, stitch.
1852. Blackw. Mag., LXXI. 341. Button-hole eyes and upright eyelids.
1875. Chamb. Jrnl., 67. Traffic in button-hole flowers.
1884. F. R. Stockton, in Harper’s Mag., 286/1. A wine-glass containing a button-hole bouquet.
1887. Mag. Art, March, 152. These threads were worked over with close button-hole stitch.
