buttress

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noun but·tress \ ˈbə-trəs \

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

See buttress defined for English-language learners

See buttress defined for kids

buttress was our Word of the Day on 05/25/2008. Hear the podcast!

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

If science fiction became a buttress of the American Century as a celebration of American can-do spirit, fantasy literature is permeated instead by unspoken shouldn’t-dos and shouldn’t-have-dones.

— adrian daub, Longreads, "Here at the End of All Things," 24 Aug. 2017
Other subjects, from the Valley Green Inn, to a Chester Springs farm, to the tower and flying buttresses of Chartres, are rendered in a similarly bold manner.

— edith newhall, Philly.com, "Exceptional summer shows at local galleries … and a home for the Vox diaspora," 27 July 2017
The buttresses stay small, but the rest of the root system sprawls out near the surface.

— kenneth setzer, miamiherald, "This regal tree looks like it burst into flames," 20 July 2017
Smaller slides offer more options, such as walls, buttresses and drainage.

— lisa m. krieger, The Mercury News, "Is Big Sur’s Highway 1 worth saving?," 3 June 2017
Every candidate, from governor to senator to attorney general, assures me that plans are already in place with neighboring states to form a buttress against the damage this administration has and will continue to cause.

— elaine godfrey, The Atlantic, "Q of the Week: Are You Optimistic About Mitigating Climate Change?," 2 June 2017
The buttresses on the outside of the building are each topped by a mournful figure, while the bas-reliefs depict scenes from Australian campaigns at Gallipoli and the Western Front.

— Smithsonian, "World War I Cemeteries & Memorials Around the World," 26 May 2017
When the roof is lowered, some riders can notice a bit of wind buffeting from the buttresses area.

— ann m. job, The Seattle Times, "Mazda MX-5 Miata RF: Open-air driving with structure," 27 Apr. 2017
But University of Massachusetts-Amherst climatologist Rob DeConto notes that some ice shelves act as buttresses, impeding the seaward flow of the ice sheets on land behind them.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "Antarctica Is Covered With More Meltwater Than Thought," 19 Apr. 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.

Did You Know?

A buttress is an exterior support projecting from a wall that is used to resist the sideways force, also called thrust, created by the load on an arch or roof. Its name was first adopted into English as "butres" in the 14th century. It came to us from the Anglo-French (arche) boteraz, meaning "thrusting (arch)," and ultimately derives from the verb "buter," "to thrust." "Buter" is also the source of our verb butt, meaning "to thrust, push, or strike with the head or horns." Relatively soon, "buttress" came to be used figuratively for anything that supports or strengthens something else. In addition, it was also in the 14th century that "buttress" was first used as a verb meaning "to support or strengthen," literally and figuratively.

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

anchor, dependence, mainstay, pillar, reliance, standby

Related Words

backbone, sinew (s), spine; right hand; bolsterer, crutch, handmaiden (also handmaid), prop, stay; anchorage, harbor, refuge

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

arguments buttressed by solid facts

See buttress defined for English-language learners

Examples of buttress in a Sentence

The treaty will buttress the cause of peace.
The theory has been buttressed by the results of the experiment.

Recent Examples of buttress from the Web

When the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge opened this week after four years of construction, its 3.1-mile arc over the Hudson River was buttressed by Pennsylvania steel.

— sam wood, Philly.com, "Pa. steel girding the replacement Tappan Zee bridge," 25 Aug. 2017
The work widened the shallow waterway, pushed about 100 trees out of the creek to allow the water to flow more freely and used the trees to help buttress the creek banks.

— jeanne houck, Cincinnati.com, "Mariemont: From bikes to burial grounds," 22 Aug. 2017
The offense is buttressed by an impressive line that features four players with starting experience -- most notably its sturdy left tackle, Jonah Williams, and its reliable center, Bradley Bozeman.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "Why Alabama's new OC Brian Daboll is nothing like Lane Kiffin," 22 Aug. 2017
Cahill will join a rotation fronted by Danny Duffy and Jason Vargas and buttressed by Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "Royals acquire three pitchers from Padres in exchange for Matt Strahm and Travis Wood," 24 July 2017
Instead of competing, the two companies will buttress each other.

— vanityfair.com, "With Kalanick Gone, Uber Scales Back Its Global Ambitions," 13 July 2017
But a recent, detailed report by C4ADS, a research firm based in Washington, D.C., which often consults with the U.S. on security issues, buttresses those inside the administration pushing for a harder line with Beijing.

— bill powell, MSNBC Newsweek, "Will Trump Stop the 10 Chinese Companies Supplying North Korea's Nuclear Program?," 13 July 2017
That assessment was buttressed by three other anonymous Republicans privy to the selection process.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Gary Cohn Is the Front-runner to Replace Yellen As Fed Chair: Report," 12 July 2017
A high draft pick in 2018 will only buttress L.A.’s chances of landing one or both of the superstars, another asset to possibly be shipped in pursuit of another All-Star.

— michael shapiro, SI.com, "Seven NBA Teams That Should Tank In 2017-18," 12 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of buttress

see ¹buttress

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

buttress Synonyms

Synonyms

bear, bolster, brace, support, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold

Related Words

steady, truss, underlie

Near Antonyms

undercut, undermine, weaken

Other Architecture Terms

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

BUTTRESS Defined for English Language Learners

buttress

play

noun

Definition of buttress for English Language Learners

: a structure built against a wall in order to support or strengthen it

buttress

verb

Definition of buttress for English Language Learners

: to support, strengthen, or defend (something)

BUTTRESS Defined for Kids

buttress

play

noun but·tress \ ˈbə-trəs \

Definition of buttress for Students

1 :a structure built against a wall or building to give support and strength

2 :something that supports, props, or strengthens

buttress

verb

Definition of buttress for Students

buttressed; buttressing

:to support or strengthen :to support with or as if with a buttress

Learn More about buttress

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for buttress Spanish Central: Translation of buttress Nglish: Translation of buttress for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of buttress for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buttress

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buttress

Definition of buttress

buttressed

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buttress was our Word of the Day on 05/25/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of buttress in a Sentence

Recent Examples of buttress from the Web

Did You Know?

Illustration of buttress

Origin and Etymology of buttress

buttress Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Architecture Terms

buttress

Definition of buttress

Examples of buttress in a Sentence

Recent Examples of buttress from the Web

Origin and Etymology of buttress

buttress Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Architecture Terms

BUTTRESS Defined for English Language Learners

buttress

Definition of buttress for English Language Learners

buttress

Definition of buttress for English Language Learners

BUTTRESS Defined for Kids

buttress

Definition of buttress for Students

buttress

Definition of buttress for Students

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