abutment
noun
abut·ment
ə-ˈbət-mənt 
plural abutments
1
: the place at which one thing borders on or abuts another
Once it chanced that I stood in the very abutment of a rainbow's arch, which filled the lower stratum of the atmosphere, tinging the grass and leaves around, and dazzling me as if I looked through colored crystal.—
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau2
a
: the part of a structure (such as an arch or a bridge) that directly receives thrust or pressure
b
dentistry
: a tooth or part of a dental implant to which a prosthetic appliance (such as a bridge or artificial crown) is attached for support
A dental bridge, like a highway bridge … is supported by abutments, sound teeth on either side of the empty gap.—Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health
Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health
Examples of abutment in a Sentence
The car crashed into a bridge abutment.
Recent Examples on the Web
These symbols, really hieroglyphs, appeared on posts and bridge abutments, on fences and outbuildings.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023
The abutment, back center, would become part of the Long Island Bridge, which opened August 1951 and connected Long Island to the mainland by way of Moon Island.
—Ellie Wolfe, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Construction started in November with improvements to the concrete abutments and wing walls.
—Mike Jones, Arkansas Online, 22 July 2023
The action, for example, uses a fluted, stainless steel bolt with a floating bolt head that ensures proper contact with lug abutments.
—Mike Dickerson, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023
Plans also call for the use of Ashlar stone cladding for the bridge piers, and abutments and walls near the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
—Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2023
At 8:45 that morning, Turner lost control of his 1975 LTD Ford, swerved off the road onto a grassy area, back onto the road then off again before hitting an abutment and flipping the Ford onto its roof, according to Bartholomew County sheriff's records.
—Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 26 July 2021
To support that structure, and the retaining wall holding it up, ODOT has proposed building a concrete platform measuring roughly 200 feet long by 50 feet wide, held up on the south side by an abutment and on the north side by columns rising from the Innerbelt median.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 15 June 2022
That detailed information, including every last elevation change, guardrail, or bridge abutment, is combined with real-time, onboard sensor-fusion data from cameras, radar, and high-precision GPS.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Mar. 2018
See More
Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023
The abutment, back center, would become part of the Long Island Bridge, which opened August 1951 and connected Long Island to the mainland by way of Moon Island.
—Ellie Wolfe, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Construction started in November with improvements to the concrete abutments and wing walls.
—Mike Jones, Arkansas Online, 22 July 2023
The action, for example, uses a fluted, stainless steel bolt with a floating bolt head that ensures proper contact with lug abutments.
—Mike Dickerson, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023
Plans also call for the use of Ashlar stone cladding for the bridge piers, and abutments and walls near the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
—Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2023
At 8:45 that morning, Turner lost control of his 1975 LTD Ford, swerved off the road onto a grassy area, back onto the road then off again before hitting an abutment and flipping the Ford onto its roof, according to Bartholomew County sheriff's records.
—Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 26 July 2021
To support that structure, and the retaining wall holding it up, ODOT has proposed building a concrete platform measuring roughly 200 feet long by 50 feet wide, held up on the south side by an abutment and on the north side by columns rising from the Innerbelt median.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 15 June 2022
That detailed information, including every last elevation change, guardrail, or bridge abutment, is combined with real-time, onboard sensor-fusion data from cameras, radar, and high-precision GPS.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Mar. 2018
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abutment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near abutment
Cite this Entry
“Abutment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abutment. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
abutment
noun
abut·ment
ə-ˈbət-mənt
1
: the place of abutting
2
: something against which another thing rests its weight or pushes with force
abutments that support a bridge
Medical Definition
abutment
noun
abut·ment
ə-ˈbət-mənt
: a tooth or part of a dental implant to which a prosthetic appliance (such as a bridge or artificial crown) is attached for support
A dental bridge, like a highway bridge … is supported by abutments, sound teeth on either side of the empty gap.—Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health
Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental HealthOnce the healing period is over, the gum is cut open again and a little metal cylinder called an abutment is put in the implant. It takes another few days for the gum to heal before the crown is put on …—Harvard Health Letter
Harvard Health Letter
Legal Definition
abutment
noun
abut·ment
ə-ˈbət-mənt
: the place at which abutting occurs
at the abutment of two properties
More from Merriam-Webster on abutment
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for abutment
Nglish: Translation of abutment for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of abutment for Arabic Speakers
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