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
Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
There were also some spider-like buttresses for the London streets.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
Chimp noises, including pant-hoots and buttress drums, can commonly be heard from two-thirds of a mile away, and acoustics may travel even farther at elevation above the forest canopy.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023
One of these is the looking-glass tree, a Seussian marvel with roots that project far up out of the soil, forming sinuous, rippling buttress walls that can rise over three feet tall.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2023
Backstroking beneath the buttresses stretching across the vaulted ceiling of the 99-year-old Butte-aux-Cailles pool feels like backstroking through a cathedral.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2023
Each of those countries has a sizable Sikh population and are keen for warm relations with New Delhi, in part as a buttress against the growing assertiveness of China.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023
And its padded patella buttress helps to offer knee stability.
—Jack Byram, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2023
The sweeping buttresses beneath an oversized, carbon-fiber hardtop.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 July 2023
Johanna Herrmann, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
These now warmer waters can eat away at the giant, buttressing ice shelves from below.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2024
These ice shelves buttress the ice sheet and prevent glaciers from flowing more rapidly out to sea.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2024
In recent years, California has been the beneficiary of a worldwide soundstage construction boom triggered by the streaming wars and buttressed locally by the state’s 4% tax credit established in 2021 for productions shooting on new or renovated qualified soundstages.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
By late afternoon on Monday, multimillion-dollar homes, buttressed by powerful retaining walls and ringed with security hedges, had been drenched with a mind-boggling 11.68 inches of rain, according to the Weather Service.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
The shares dropped 40% but Kadoorie’s $6.3 billion fortune was buttressed by his holdings in power company CLP, keeping him at No. 13.
—Tony Spaeth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
More recently, Peltz’s efforts were buttressed by Elon Musk, another bête noire of Disney.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Noseda and Cho shared several smiling glances and knowing looks, the former buttressing the sound with strong strings and decorating it with elegant, silky winds.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
However, something that may serve as a buttress to this is increasing globalization.
—Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
There were also some spider-like buttresses for the London streets.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
Chimp noises, including pant-hoots and buttress drums, can commonly be heard from two-thirds of a mile away, and acoustics may travel even farther at elevation above the forest canopy.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023
One of these is the looking-glass tree, a Seussian marvel with roots that project far up out of the soil, forming sinuous, rippling buttress walls that can rise over three feet tall.
—Alexandra Kleeman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2023
Backstroking beneath the buttresses stretching across the vaulted ceiling of the 99-year-old Butte-aux-Cailles pool feels like backstroking through a cathedral.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2023
Each of those countries has a sizable Sikh population and are keen for warm relations with New Delhi, in part as a buttress against the growing assertiveness of China.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023
And its padded patella buttress helps to offer knee stability.
—Jack Byram, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2023
The sweeping buttresses beneath an oversized, carbon-fiber hardtop.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 July 2023
Verb
Social sources, meanwhile, can buttress ever more narrow and dubious claims, as algorithms keep us clicking and watching and reading more of the same.
—Johanna Herrmann, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
These now warmer waters can eat away at the giant, buttressing ice shelves from below.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2024
These ice shelves buttress the ice sheet and prevent glaciers from flowing more rapidly out to sea.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2024
In recent years, California has been the beneficiary of a worldwide soundstage construction boom triggered by the streaming wars and buttressed locally by the state’s 4% tax credit established in 2021 for productions shooting on new or renovated qualified soundstages.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
By late afternoon on Monday, multimillion-dollar homes, buttressed by powerful retaining walls and ringed with security hedges, had been drenched with a mind-boggling 11.68 inches of rain, according to the Weather Service.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
The shares dropped 40% but Kadoorie’s $6.3 billion fortune was buttressed by his holdings in power company CLP, keeping him at No. 13.
—Tony Spaeth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
More recently, Peltz’s efforts were buttressed by Elon Musk, another bête noire of Disney.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Noseda and Cho shared several smiling glances and knowing looks, the former buttressing the sound with strong strings and decorating it with elegant, silky winds.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buttress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English butres, from Anglo-French (arche) boteraz thrusting (arch), ultimately from buter to thrust — more at butt entry 3
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of buttress was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing buttress
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Dictionary Entries Near buttress
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttress. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on buttress
Nglish: Translation of buttress for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of buttress for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buttress
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