noun
buttress
Buttress (noun) means a support made of brick, concrete or stone, set against a structure to hold it up.
noun
1
A support made of brick, concrete or stone, set against a structure to hold it up.
"It was decided, therefore, to build eight concrete buttresses from the new strengthening work to safeguard the general stability of the wall along the length where the greatest movement had taken place."
— , Strengthening of River Calder Retaining Wall, N.E.R (1954)
2
Something that gives support or strength to another thing.
3
In botany, a wide, flat root that spreads out from the base of a tree trunk to help hold it up.
4
A part of a mountain or rock face that sticks out sharply.
"All that day they rode into broken land. The prairie with its grass and rolling hills was behind them, and they entered a sparse, dry, rocky country, full of draws and short cañons and ominous buttresses."
— Will Cook, Until Darkness Disappears (2005)
"Two short pitches up a chimney-crack are followed by a traverse right to the centre of the buttress."
— Tony Howard, Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum (2010)
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Etymology
It comes from Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally "supporting arcs"), from bouterez (adjective), the oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną ("to push"). It is ultimately cognate with beat.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of buttress?
"buttress" (noun) means a support made of brick, concrete or stone, set against a structure to hold it up.
What is another word for buttress?
Other words for "buttress" include buttressing, brace, crag, bluff.
What are the different meanings of buttress?
"buttress" has 3 main meanings: 1. A support made of brick, concrete or stone, set against a structure to hold it up; 2. Something that gives support or strength to another thing; 3. In botany, a wide, flat root that spreads out from the base of a tree trunk to help hold it up.
