Pushbutton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mechanism that triggers a response by being pressed down
2. A control interface that enables a specific operation when actuated
3. A switch device that initiates an action when pressed and released

Etymology: "Pushbutton" is a plain compound of "push" and "button," the two words joined without a hyphen. "Push" comes from Old French "pousser," from Latin "pulsare," a frequentative of "pellere" meaning "to drive or thrust," which is also the source of "pulse." "Button" comes from Old French "bouton," meaning a bud or knob, and the word originally described a small rounded knob or projection before it came to mean a fastener on clothing. The compound describes what the device does: a button that works by being pushed, as opposed to one turned, pulled or slid. Its meaning has widened over time from mechanical fixtures to electrical switches and, later, to any control that is pressed to trigger a response, including on screens and keyboards.

Synonyms: button, switch, control, trigger