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)
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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
Jason Schenker, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
In the best-case scenario, lower rates would help buttress rising prices that are expected to come from the levies.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Simon Hughes, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Each has levied a variety of strategies to buttress its claims, encompassing infrastructure deals, loan packages, humanitarian initiatives, and diplomatic and cultural overtures.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025
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Noun
However, if growth slows but inflation remains elevated, the Fed may struggle to implement more accommodative monetary policies to support confidence and buttress growth.
—Jason Schenker, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
In the best-case scenario, lower rates would help buttress rising prices that are expected to come from the levies.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Each has levied a variety of strategies to buttress its claims, encompassing infrastructure deals, loan packages, humanitarian initiatives, and diplomatic and cultural overtures.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttress. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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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