button and push share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. button means “a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes”. push means “move with force”. push is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbʌtən/
1.n.a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
2.n.an electrical switch operated by pressing
“the elevator was operated by push buttons”
3.n.any of various plant parts that resemble buttons
/ˈpʊʃ/
1.v.move with force
“He pushed the table into a corner”
2.v.press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action
“He pushed her to finish her doctorate”
3.v.make publicity for; try to sell (a product)
“The salesman is aggressively pushing the new computer model”
| button | push | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbʌtən/ | /ˈpʊʃ/ |
| Said | BUHT-uhn | puush |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 9 | 15 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | force |
Full entry for button · Full entry for push · More comparisons