call button

English

Noun

call button (plural call buttons)

1. A button used to request assistance.
   • 2008 April 17, Joyce Wadler, “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Solvent”, in The New York Times‎:

     Their feeling, anachronistic as the servants’ call button in their dining room, is that if you don’t have the money for something, you don’t buy it.

   • 2013 April 4, Celine Gounder, “Medical Emergencies at 40,000 Feet”, in The Atlantic‎:

     I was asleep, the plane dark as we flew over the Atlantic on our way from Johannesburg to São Paulo, when a familiar page came over the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to wake you. If there is a doctor on board, please hit your call button."

2. A button used to request some form of mechanical service.
   1. A button used to request a walk signal at a pedestrian crossing.
      • 2021 February 26, Hannah Eason, “Richmond to install new traffic signals for pedestrians, bicyclists at crosswalks”, in NBC 12‎, Richmond, Va.: WWBT:

        The Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon is designed to help pedestrians and bicyclists safely cross busy, multi-lane or high-speed streets. The beacon consists of two red lenses above a single yellow lens. The lenses remain “dark” until a pedestrian pushes the call button to activate the beacon.

   2. A button used to summon an elevator.
      • 2000 June 11, Mark Wallace, “Tech 2010: #29 Wait No More; The Elevator You Never Have to Wait For”, in The New York Times‎, section 6, page 96:

        No more staring at closed elevator doors, repeatedly pressing a call button in frustration.

Synonyms

• (walk signal button): beg button