buttress
4
7.4
- noun
- /ˈbʌtrəs/
:
contrafuerte
- During the tour, we learned that the church's buttresses were essential for maintaining the integrity of the structure.
- flying buttress
Examples
-
Matsushima U.K. was a low-slung palace of reflective bronzed glass supported by leaning buttresses.
Fiction book (1999) -
The individual flying buttresses became more elegant over the centuries, far less 'clunky.'
Blog text (8) -
You know those buttresses that you had put up for the wall?
-
Oh, Mr. Simpson, do not ask me the secrets of the arch, the buttress, and the dome.
Fiction book (1998) -
You don't know how to make an arch or a buttress.
Fiction book (1998) -
Eric guides Elly to the top of one of the flying buttresses.
Fiction book (1994) -
One palatial new home had domes, flat roof segments, and flying buttresses; the latest in architecture.
Academic text (2001) -
The second floor was raised on round arches and supported a balcony resting on a row of buttresses forming an eaves-like projection.
Academic text (2003) -
The ancient cathedral is renowned for its stunning buttresses, which help support its towering walls.
-
The architect designed the garden wall to include decorative buttresses for both support and aesthetic appeal.
Synonyms
141
1.4
A thing that holds up weight, like a pillar
22
3.6
A strong upright support in a building or bridge that holds weight
1
8.6
An outer support that stands away from a wall and connects to it by an arch on churches
1
9.9
A stone or brick support that sticks out from a wall to hold something above it
1
6.7
A support added to a frame to keep it steady
A structure built against a wall to support it
Compounds
- Specialized
1
8.6
An outer support that stands away from a wall and connects to it by an arch on churches
How Supportive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Buttress comes from an old word meaning 'to push' and is like the simple English word butt, which means 'to push with the head'. A buttress is a strong stone or brick support that 'pushes' against a wall to hold it up.