button-up
button-up — adjective
1. describing a garment — for example a shirt, blouse, or jacket — whose front clos
describing a garment — for example a shirt, blouse, or jacket — whose front closes with several buttons arranged in a straight line from the neck down to the hem.
Gabriel wore a crisp button-up shirt to the job interview.
button-up shirt (noun after hyphenated adj)
The tailor recommended a button-up blouse with a Mandarin collar.
For the school play, the costume designer asked for a dark blue button-up jacket.
Young children often find button-up shirts harder to manage than T-shirts.
- button-down
specifically describes a shirt whose collar points fasten to the body with small buttons; more specific than button-up
- pullover
a garment that is put on over the head without any front fastening
文法句型
button-up + noun (shirt / blouse / jacket)
用法筆記
Attributive only — you say a button-up shirt but not *this shirt is button-up. For the predicative sense (the shirt buttons up), see the verb entry.
常見錯誤
button-up — noun
1. a top — usually a shirt, blouse, or jacket — that is closed at the front by push
a top — usually a shirt, blouse, or jacket — that is closed at the front by pushing buttons through their matching buttonholes from the collar downward.
Takeshi owns eight button-ups and wears a different one each day.
button-ups (plural count noun)
The laundry service pressed every button-up and hung them on wooden hangers.
Lara folded her favourite blue button-up and placed it carefully into the suitcase.
The second-hand shop had a rack of colourful button-ups from the 1990s.
- pullover
a sweater or top that goes on over the head
文法句型
a/the button-up
button-ups (plural)
用法筆記
Common in shopping, laundry, and wardrobe contexts. Uncountable uses (e.g. *I need button-up) are not standard.
button-up — verb
- button-uppresent simple I / you / we / they
- button-ups3rd person singular
- button-uping-ing form
- button-upedpast simple
1. to close something — typically a bag, container, or piece of equipment — complet
to close something — typically a bag, container, or piece of equipment — completely so that nothing can get in or out, or to be closed in this way.
Before the rain started, Eitan buttoned up the tent and checked every corner.
buttoned up the tent (transitive, concrete object)
The sleeping bag buttons up with a single cord at the top.
buttons up (intransitive, present tense)
Shirin buttoned up her messenger bag so that her notebook would not fall out.
Please button up the duvet cover before putting it in the machine.
- unbutton
the opposite action — opening something by releasing buttons
文法句型
button up + object (a bag / a coat / a tent)
button up (no object)
用法筆記
A separable phrasal verb: you can say button up the bag or button the bag up. The pronoun object must go between: button it up, not *button up it.
常見錯誤
2. to finish all the remaining details or final steps of a piece of work so that no
to finish all the remaining details or final steps of a piece of work so that nothing is left to do.
The design team buttoned up the final draft of the report by Friday afternoon.
buttoned up the ... report — task completion
Anna buttoned up the arrangements for the conference two weeks before the event.
We need to button up the budget before the CEO presents it to the board.
The contractors promised to button up all renovation work by the end of the month.
- start
the beginning of a project or task
文法句型
button up + object (a deal / a project / the paperwork)
用法筆記
Nearly always transitive; used informally in workplace conversation. More formal alternatives include finalise, complete, or wrap up.
3. to reach a firm, unchangeable decision or settlement on a matter after all parti
to reach a firm, unchangeable decision or settlement on a matter after all parties have agreed — used especially of legal or financial outcomes.
The two companies buttoned up the merger agreement after six months of negotiation.
buttoned up the merger agreement — legal/business finalization
Everything is buttoned up and the contract will be signed tomorrow morning.
is buttoned up (passive, finality of settlement)
The lawyers spent a full day making sure all the clauses were buttoned up.
Once the divorce settlement was buttoned up, both parties could finally move on.
文法句型
button up + object (an agreement / a settlement / a contract)
be buttoned up
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (FINISH TASK): sense 2 applies to routine work or projects, while sense 3 specifically describes reaching a binding decision or settlement that closes a matter permanently. Frequently used in the passive voice.
4. to suddenly stop speaking, often because you are told to keep a secret, or as a
to suddenly stop speaking, often because you are told to keep a secret, or as a blunt instruction to stop talking.
When the teacher walked in, Cole buttoned up and stared at his desk.
buttoned up (intransitive, sudden silence)
The witness was told to button up about what she had seen in the courtroom.
button up about + topic — silence on a subject
Dewi's older brother told her to button up when she started asking too many questions.
Just button up and let me finish what I am saying, please.
- speak up
to start talking or to talk more loudly
文法句型
button up (no object)
tell someone to button up
用法筆記
Direct and can sound rude — similar to shut up but slightly less harsh. The phrase button your lip is a politer alternative in British English. Common in criticism and reprimands.