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
Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Not too far outside of Denver, Estes Park buttresses Rocky Mountain National Park, and has a few small boutique hotels well worth checking out.
—Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2023
Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Small mounts on the board at the location of the trucks allow for attaching rechargeable headlights and tail lights to buttress the red trim light.
—William Roberson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buttress 
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Noun
As the buttresses disintegrate, more ice from the land can flow into the sea, hastening sea level rise.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Not too far outside of Denver, Estes Park buttresses Rocky Mountain National Park, and has a few small boutique hotels well worth checking out.
—Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2023
Verb
In Antarctica, sea ice surrounding the continent also buttresses gigantic ice sheets, slowing the flow of glacial ice into the ocean.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Small mounts on the board at the location of the trucks allow for attaching rechargeable headlights and tail lights to buttress the red trim light.
—William Roberson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 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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