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.
Synonyms
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
Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
Its pointed arches, flying buttresses and piers sprouting ribs that branched like spider webs helped usher in the Gothic age.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Shares of the company rose 10.5 percent to $381 in after-hours trading on Thursday as the company topped earnings expectations and nudged up its outlook, with strong international growth buttressing the Americas business.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buttress 
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Noun
The chapel reflected the Gothic Revival style with a high gabled slate roof, long, narrow Gothic arched windows with limestone surround and brick turret buttresses at the corners, according to the St. Joseph Historic Area Preservation Plan from 1991.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
Its pointed arches, flying buttresses and piers sprouting ribs that branched like spider webs helped usher in the Gothic age.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
On Saturday, Sullivan pointed to comments made by Trump on social media to buttress the case that Biden’s push for continued support of Ukraine falls in line with the incoming president’s thinking.
—Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Shares of the company rose 10.5 percent to $381 in after-hours trading on Thursday as the company topped earnings expectations and nudged up its outlook, with strong international growth buttressing the Americas business.
—Evan Clark, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buttress
Dictionary Entries Near buttress
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttress. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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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