Part 1507

<hw>But"ton*bush`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>A shrub (<spn>Cephalanthus occidentalis</spn>) growing by the waterside; -- so called from its globular head of flowers. See <er>Capitulum</er>.</def>

<h1>Buttonhole</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*hole`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The hole or loop in which a button is caught.</def>

<h1>Buttonhole</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*hole`</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To hold at the button or buttonhole; to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; <as>as, he <ex>buttonholed</ex> me a quarter of an hour</as>.</def>

<h1>Buttonmold</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*mold`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A disk of bone, wood, or other material, which is made into a button by covering it with cloth.</def> <altsp>[Written also <asp>buttonmould</asp>.]</altsp>

<cs><col>Fossil buttonmolds</col>, <cd>joints of encrinites. See <er>Encrinite</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Buttons</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"tons</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A boy servant, or page, -- in allusion to the <i>buttons</i> on his livry.</def> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark>

<i>Dickens.</i>

<h1>Buttonweed</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*weed`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>The name of several plants of the genera <spn>Spermacoce</spn> and <spn>Diodia</spn>, of the Madder family.</def>

<h1>Buttonwood</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*wood`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>The <spn>Platanus occidentalis</spn>, or American plane tree, a large tree, producing rough balls, from which it is named; -- called also <altname>buttonball tree</altname>, and, in some parts of the United States, <altname>sycamore</altname>. The California buttonwood is <spn>P. racemosa</spn>.</def>

<h1>Buttony</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"ton*y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Ornamented with a large number of buttons.</def> "The <i>buttony</i> boy." <i>Thackeray</i>. "My coat so blue and <i>buttony</i>."

<i>W. S. Gilbert.</i>

<h1>Buttress</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"tress</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>butrasse</ets>, <ets>boterace</ets>, fr. F. <ets>bouter</ets> to push; cf. OF. <ets>bouteret</ets> (nom. sing. and acc. pl. <ets>bouterez</ets>) buttress. See <er>Butt</er> an end, and cf. <er>Butteris</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Arch.)</fld> <def>A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry.</def>

<note>&hand; When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a <i>pier</i>.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Anything which supports or strengthens.</def> "The ground pillar and <i>buttress</i> of the good old cause of nonconformity."

<i>South.</i>

<cs><col>Flying buttress</col>. <cd>See <er>Flying buttress</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Buttress</h1> <Xpage=197>

<hw>But"tress</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Buttressed</er> (<?/); <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Buttressing</er>.]</wordforms> <def>To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly.</def>

<blockquote>To set it upright again, and to prop and <b>buttress</b> it up for duration. <i>Burke.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Butt shaft</h1> <Xpage=197>