buttress

1 of 2

noun

but·​tress ˈbə-trəs 

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

ˈbə-trəst 

adjective

Illustration of buttress

• buttress 1

buttress

2 of 2

verb

buttressed; buttressing; buttresses

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 buttress entry 1 sense 1)

also : support, strengthen

arguments buttressed by solid facts

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• anchor
• dependence
• dependance
• mainstay
• pillar
• reliance
• standby

Verb

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

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

Noun

Channeling one’s focus on the Lego version of a flying buttress, repeated dozens of times across the exterior, means not scrolling social media, and to click the bell towers into place is to hear the sound of satisfaction. —Amy Verner, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2024

Manners and Dvorak left base camp for good on September 27, reaching the buttress the following day. —Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 9 Oct. 2024

Verb

This type of plan pays a flat-dollar amount — say, $50 for a doctor visit or $1,000 for a hospital stay — and is meant to buttress more comprehensive coverage, not replace it. —Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024

Volumes of academic studies, over many years, have buttressed these real-world examples. —Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English butres, from Anglo-French (arche) boteraz thrusting (arch), ultimately from buter to thrust — more at butt entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing buttress

• flying buttress

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Kids 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