mescal button

9.9

A small round part of the peyote cactus that people eat to cause visions

noun
/ˈmɛskəl ˈbʌtən/

NSFW

: botón de mescal

The shaman dried several mescal buttons before preparing them for ingestion.

Examples

Researchers analyzed the chemical composition of the mescal button to better understand its psychoactive properties.
Native American rituals sometimes include the use of mescal buttons for spiritual visions.
The mescal button is known for its psychoactive properties.
Many people use mescal buttons for spiritual ceremonies.
Native American rituals sometimes include the use of mescal buttons for spiritual visions.
Researchers analyzed the chemical composition of the mescal button to better understand its psychoactive properties.
The shaman dried several mescal buttons before preparing them for ingestion.

Surface Forms

mescal button singular

mescal buttons plural

Morphology

mescal + button

This is a literal noun–noun composition: 'mescal' denotes a cactus known for its dried, hallucinogenic buttons and 'button' denotes a budlike, button-shaped plant part. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can directly infer that 'mescal button' refers to the rounded, button-like top of the mescal cactus (including its psychoactive use), so the meaning is transparently derived from the parts.

Etymology

Mescal button is the small, round top of the mescal cactus (also called 'peyote') that looks like a flat button and holds the plant parts that can make people see 'visions'. Because people ate these little 'buttons' in religious ceremonies for those visions, the name now means the cactus part used for those spiritual effects.