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Glite Dictionary
brass buttons

brass buttons

9.9
A small plant with many round yellow flowers that grows close to the ground
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : botones de bronce
  • In the botanical garden, there was a display of brass buttons showcasing their vibrant golden-yellow flowers.

Examples

  • The landscaper recommended planting brass buttons for their ornamental value and ability to attract butterflies.

  • She was wearing a bright red coat with brass buttons.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • She was wearing a bright red coat with brass buttons.

Synonyms

Cotula coronopifolia
vsbrass buttons
  • Specialized
9.9

A small South African plant with bright yellow round flowers that grows in wet coastal places

is mainly cultivated as an ornamental plant rather than naturalized abroad

Surface Forms

brass buttons singular
brass buttons plural

Morphology

brass + button

The phrase is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'brass' evokes a bright yellow/golden color and 'buttons' evokes small, rounded, bud‑like shapes. A B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it names small, golden, button‑shaped flower heads (i.e., a plant), so the meaning is compositional and transparent.

Etymology

Brass buttons got their name because the plant's tiny, round, golden flower heads look like little brass buttons. So the name now means 'a low garden plant with small yellow blooms'.