buttonhole machine
- noun
- Specialized
- She adjusted the settings on the buttonhole machine to ensure each buttonhole was reinforced with gimp thread.
Examples
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The tailor used a buttonhole machine to create neat and uniform openings on the shirt cuffs.
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Modern buttonhole machines can sew different shapes and sizes, making garment production more efficient.
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The new buttonhole machine arrived yesterday.
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Can you show me how to use the buttonhole machine?
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Modern buttonhole machines can sew different shapes and sizes, making garment production more efficient.
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She adjusted the settings on the buttonhole machine to ensure each buttonhole was reinforced with gimp thread.
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The tailor used a buttonhole machine to create neat and uniform openings on the shirt cuffs.
Synonyms
A machine that sews buttonholes, for example small round eyelet holes
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: a 'machine' that makes or works on 'buttonholes', so its purpose follows immediately from the two constituents. The noun+noun compounding pattern expressing an object designed for a specific function is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Buttonhole machine is a name for a machine that sews the button hole, making a neat, stitched opening so a button can fasten clothing. So the name literally means 'to make buttonholes'.