buttonhole: Meaning and Definition of

but•ton•hole

1. the hole, slit, or loop through which a button is passed and by which it is secured.
2. a boutonniere.
3. a short, straight incision through the wall of a cavity or a canal.

1. to sew with a buttonhole stitch.
2. to make buttonholes in.
3. to hold by the buttonhole or otherwise abruptly detain (someone) in conversation: The reporter tried to buttonhole the mayor for a statement on the bus strike.