buttress

noun but·tress \ ˈbə-trəs \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of buttress

1 architecture : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building

2 : something that resembles a buttress: such as

a : a projecting part of a mountain or hill

b biology : a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel — see hoof illustration

c botany : the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it

3 : something that supports or strengthens

a buttress of the cause of peace

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buttressed

play \-trəst\ adjective

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Examples of buttress in a Sentence

the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times
after the wall collapsed, the construction company agreed to rebuild it with a buttress

Recent Examples of buttress from the Web

There are sturdy buttress roots below and pen-thin palms towering above the forest canopy.

— mark johanson, chicagotribune.com, "Paradise takes many forms on this Indonesian archipelago," 23 Mar. 2018
One buttress of civilian control is the public’s commitment to the constitutional order.

— german feierherd, Washington Post, "A significant minority of Americans say they could support a military takeover of the U.S. government," 16 Feb. 2018
Thus religious freedom is a crucial buttress to genuine social pluralism as well as a barrier to the totalitarian temptation that infects all forms of political modernity.

— george weigel, National Review, "The Catholic Journey to Religious Freedom," 20 Dec. 2017
Losing that buttress can be almost as important as losing a paycheck.

— jane m. von bergen, Philly.com, "These Philly-area folks lost their jobs in the recession - here's what they've learned," 15 Dec. 2017
The buttresses are one of many design details that turned out to be good for both the race and road car.

— dan neil, WSJ, "2017 Ford GT: A $450,000 Road Rocket That’s Two Cars in One," 6 July 2017
Bombardier, with 66,000 employees worldwide and 21,000 in Canada, is the single largest employer in the Northern Irish manufacturing sector and a buttress to several other local industries through its extensive supply chains.

— patrick kingsley, New York Times, "For Belfast, ‘America First’ Amounts to ‘Northern Ireland Last’," 10 Oct. 2017
Lolla has four buttresses: rock (and its variables), hip-hop, pop and electronic.

— billboard brazil, Billboard, "Behind the Scenes With Alexandre Faria, New Head of Live Nation in Brazil: Interview," 28 Sep. 2017
George’s arrival should provide a constant buttress—as will smaller, more mobile lineups in general.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and the Remaking of Oklahoma City," 26 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'buttress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of buttress

Origin and Etymology of buttress

Middle English butres, from Anglo-French (arche) boteraz thrusting (arch), ultimately from buter to thrust — more at butt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

buttress Synonyms

Synonyms

brace, mount, mounting, prop, reinforcement, shore, spur, stay, support, underpinning;

Related Words

shoring;

column, pedestal, pilaster, pillar;

arch, bolster, bracket, cantilever, girder;

bearing;

crutch, peg, post, stake, stanchion, stand, stilt, strut, truss;

base, foundation, frame;

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

buttress

verb

Definition of buttress

transitive verb

architecture : to give support or stability to (a wall or building) with a projecting structure of masonry or wood : to furnish or shore up with a buttress (see ¹buttress 1); also : support, strengthen