The act of detaining someone in conversation against his or her will.

present participle of buttonhole

plural of buttonholing

simple past tense and past participle of buttonhole

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of buttonhole

A hole through which a button is pushed to secure a garment or some part of one. / (chiefly Britain) A flower worn in a buttonhole for decoration.

(transitive, colloquial) To detain (a person) in conversation against their will. / (transitive, intransitive) To cut one or more buttonholes (in). / (transitive) To sew by buttonhole stitch.

plural of buttonholer

One who detains somebody in conversation against their will. / An attachment for a sewing machine which automates the side-to-side and forward-and-backward motions involved in sewing a buttonhole.

a looped stitch used for edging buttonholes or pieces of material