Illustration of buttress
- buttress 1
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
buttressed; buttressing; buttresses
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 buttress entry 1 sense 1)
Did you know?
The word buttress first budded in the world of architecture during the 14th century, when it was used to describe an exterior support that projects from a wall to resist the sideways force, called thrust, created by the load on an arch or roof. The word ultimately comes from the Anglo-French verb buter, meaning "to thrust." Buter is also the source of our verb butt, meaning "to thrust, push, or strike with the head or horns." Buttress developed figurative use relatively soon after its adoption, being applied to anything that supports or strengthens something else. No buts about it: the world would not be the same without buttresses.
Examples of buttress in a Sentence
Noun
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
Verb
The treaty will buttress the cause of peace.
The theory has been buttressed by the results of the experiment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
In this era, ogival windows and flying buttresses would be more bracing than yet another thicket of computerized-looking shapes.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
An atypical role for a presidential foundation At the least, the developments represent an unusually tense application of the foundation’s typical mission, which is to buttress Reagan’s legacy.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buttress
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Noun
At a number of events on Tuesday, senior officials made a case for gas as essential for energy security and a buttress to renewables.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
In this era, ogival windows and flying buttresses would be more bracing than yet another thicket of computerized-looking shapes.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
It will be buttressed by another 23 seats from another conservative coalition, who often vote with Milei's part.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
An atypical role for a presidential foundation At the least, the developments represent an unusually tense application of the foundation’s typical mission, which is to buttress Reagan’s legacy.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttress. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buttress
1 of 2 noun
but·tress
ˈbə-trəs 
1
: a structure built against a wall or building to give support and strength
2
: something that supports, props, or strengthens
buttress
2 of 2 verb
: to support with or as if with a buttress
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