button-down
Americanadjective
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(of a shirt collar) having buttonholes so it can be buttoned to the body of the shirt.
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(of a shirt) having a button-down collar.
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(of a shirt) having buttons down the front from the collar to the bottom.
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Also buttoned-down (especially of attitudes, opinions, etc.) extremely conventional; unimaginative.
adjective
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(of a collar) having points that are fastened to the garment with buttons
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(of a shirt) having a button-down collar
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Also: buttoned-down. conventional or conservative
a button-down corporate culture
Etymology
Origin of button-down
An Americanism dating back to 1930–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It unnerved some in the button-down workforce who voiced concern that the party-boy image could strain partnerships with other law-enforcement agencies and make bureau leadership seem weak in the eyes of foreign adversaries.
Newsboy caps, button-down vests and a predominance of subtle plaids recalled "Peaky Blinders", while pocket watch chains consolidated the 1920s feel.
From Barron's
A former accountant known for his intense focus and discipline, Hemsley has a button-down style.
She’s wearing a white button-down shirt and a pair of blue jeans, and her long hair is down around her shoulders.
From Literature
Coal moved the tissue paper aside and found a button-down shirt that was made out of a nondescript grayish fabric.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
