buttress

1 of 2

noun

but·tress ˈbə-trəs

Synonyms of buttress

architecture : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building

: something that resembles a buttress: such as

: a projecting part of a mountain or hill

biology : a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel see hoof illustration

botany : the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it

: something that supports or strengthens

a buttress of the cause of peace

buttressed

ˈbə-trəst

adjective

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.

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

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Noun

Ice shelves like Amery act as buttresses, slowing the flow of glaciers into the sea, and playing a crucial role in stabilizing the Antarctic Ice Sheet. —Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025 The shale boom has been one of the strongest buttresses supporting the recovery of the U.S. economy following the Great Recession. —Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 6 July 2017

Verb

That insight, buttressed by the still frames, struck me like a bolt from the blue. —Ahmed Walid, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025 That’s an encouraging reality if Schoen and the Giants can buttress Nabers with building blocks and the ultimate complement: a franchise quarterback who can form a quick rapport with the young wideout. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for buttress