button man

noun

: a low-ranking member of a criminal underworld organization

Examples of button man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Best button man in the biz. Craig Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'button man.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from buttons bellhop

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of button man was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near button man

Cite this Entry

“Button man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/button%20man. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on button man

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!