buttress

[ buh-tris ]

/ ˈbʌ trɪs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: buttress / buttressed on Thesaurus.com

noun

any external prop or support built to steady a structure by opposing its outward thrusts, especially a projecting support built into or against the outside of a masonry wall.

any prop or support.

a thing shaped like a buttress, as a tree trunk with a widening base.

a bony or horny protuberance, especially on a horse's hoof.

verb (used with object)

to support by a buttress; prop up.

to give encouragement or support to (a person, plan, etc.).

OTHER WORDS FOR buttress

6 encourage, hearten, support, inspirit, brace, back up, reinforce, shore up.

See synonyms for buttress on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of buttress

1350–1400; Middle English butres ≪ Old French (arc) boterez thrusting (arch) nominative singular of boteret (accusative), equivalent to boter- abutment (perhaps <Germanic; see butt³) + -et-et

OTHER WORDS FROM buttress

but·tress·less, adjectivebut·tress·like, adjectivenon·but·tressed, adjectiveun·but·tressed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use buttress in a sentence

Balustrades had fallen, gargoyles had broken, flying buttresses were blackened and worn away by pollution.
Watching the flames burn Notre Dame, the spiritual heart of France|Elaine Sciolino|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
Within minutes, we were picking our way across buttressed tree roots and hopscotching across rivulets in the stream.
Uncovering the Secrets of St. Kitts|Debra A. Klein|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Negotiations can be buttressed by dramatic acts of (American) pragmatism.
Understanding John Kerry's Logic|Bernard Avishai|July 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And President Obama, buttressed by his newly discovered spine, has essentially said as much.
Fiscal Cliff Countdown, Day 30: Senate Meets Dada|Daniel Gross|December 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Now comes The Endgame: its 691 pages of narrative are buttressed by 68 pages of source notes.
‘The Endgame’ Is A Well Researched, Highly Critical Look at U.S. Policy in Iraq|John Barry|September 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Maybe it is his own reputation for rectitude, a reputation buttressed by the lack of scandals in his administration.
Lousy Economy Won't Sink Obama|Peter Beinart|June 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
On the Little Douvre, their extremities were laid and buttressed upon the projections of rock.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
To all appearance he was secure in his inheritance and buttressed against any peril.
Tristram of Blent|Anthony Hope
And this evening, as usual, she slipped unobserved amongst the roses into the corner of the buttressed wall.
Six Women|Victoria Cross
The church is of dressed stone and adobe, with massive walls heavily buttressed.
The Road of a Thousand Wonders|Passenger Dept. Southern Pacific Co
In the south the Big-Tree forests are in the areas that were effectively buttressed and shielded from ice-flows.
Your National Parks|Enos A. Mills

British Dictionary definitions for buttress

buttress

/ (ˈbʌtrɪs) /

noun

Also called: pier a construction, usually of brick or stone, built to support a wallSee also flying buttress

any support or prop

something shaped like a buttress, such as a projection from a mountainside

either of the two pointed rear parts of a horse's hoof

verb (tr)

to support (a wall) with a buttress

to support or sustain

Word Origin for buttress

C13: from Old French bouterez, short for ars bouterez thrusting arch, from bouter to thrust, butt ³

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

buttress

OTHER WORDS FOR buttress

Origin of buttress

OTHER WORDS FROM buttress

Words related to buttress

How to use buttress in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for buttress

Word Origin for buttress