What does botonee mean?
Botonee is a specialized adjective of heraldry, describing a cross or similar charge whose arms end in trefoil buds — rounded, three-lobed shapes said to resemble buttons, which is precisely what the word's French ancestor meant. A 'cross botonee' is one of the classic forms found in medieval and later coats of arms, and it remains standard vocabulary in blazon, the formal language used to describe armorial bearings. Because the term belongs to a closed technical register, it appears almost exclusively in heraldic manuals, museum descriptions, genealogical writing, and discussions of ecclesiastical or noble insignia rather than in everyday speech. Variant spellings such as bottony are common, and the word is always placed after the noun it modifies, in keeping with French descriptive practice. For readers outside the field, its value lies mainly in decoding the precise terminology of coats of arms.
adjectiveIn heraldry, describing a cross or similar charge whose arms terminate in trefoil (three-lobed) buds resembling rounded knobs or buttons.
- (Heraldry) Of a cross or similar charge: having each arm terminating in a trefoil bud or knob shaped like a button.
"The coat of arms bore a gold cross botonee on an azure field."
"The cathedral's stained glass depicts a silver cross botonee against a deep blue ground."
"Heraldic manuals list botonee among the standard treatments for the ends of crosses and saltires."
Every arm of a botonee cross ends in what looks like a tiny three-lobed bud — literally a French 'button' at each tip of the cross.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of botonee
Botonee comes from the Old French boutonné, the past participle of boutonner ('to bud' or 'to stud with buttons'), derived from bouton, meaning both 'button' and 'flower bud'. English adopted the term in heraldic contexts, where it described charges whose limbs swell into bud- or button-shaped trefoil endings. It shares this root with everyday 'button' and with 'boutonnière', the flower worn in a lapel — fittingly, since a boutonnière is itself a bud worn as decoration.
Related word forms
How botonee is actually used
A technical term confined almost entirely to heraldry and blazon. The spellings botonee, bottony, and botonée are all attested; modern heraldic texts often prefer 'bottony'. Always used attributively after the noun it qualifies (e.g., 'cross botonee'), following French blazon convention.
Easily confused with botonee
Bottony is simply a variant spelling of botonee; both describe the same heraldic charge with trefoil-shaped ends.
Boutonne describes heraldic charges decorated with small button-like studs rather than arms ending in trefoil buds.