noun
- small hooked tools used to fasten buttons through buttonholes, especially on shoes or gloves
Usage: historical; plural form
Examples
- Victorian ladies used buttonhooks to fasten the many buttons on their boots.
- The antique shop displayed a collection of silver buttonhooks from the 1800s.
- Before zippers became common, buttonhooks were essential for getting dressed.
- She found her grandmother’s buttonhooks in an old sewing box.
- The museum exhibit showed how buttonhooks made it easier to button tight gloves.
- Collectors prize ornate buttonhooks made from ivory and precious metals.