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buttress Definition

but·tress (bu′tris)

noun

  1. a projecting structure, generally of brick or stone, built against a wall to support or reinforce it
  2. anything like a buttress; support or prop

Etymology: ME boteras < OFr bouterez, pl. of bouteret, flying buttress < buter: see butt

transitive verb

  1. to support or reinforce with a buttress
  2. to prop up; bolster

buttress Synonyms

buttress

v.

prop (up), bolster, sustain; see support 1, 2.

buttress Usage Examples

Object

  • root: Trees have wide buttress roots to support their great height.
  • tower: A similar illusion occurs at Beyton, Suffolk's other buttressed round tower.
  • wall: Each portion is roofed with a stone pointed barrel vault necessitating, in the absence of buttresses, walls quite four feet thick.

Converse of object

  • clasp: The west end projects nearly 20 ft. beyond the face of the curtain, and has clasping buttresses at both angles.
  • fly: In Figure 8, the high flying buttresses have been used to build a very high nave with very large windows.
  • step: North wall: two stepped buttresses divide the nave into three bays to the west side of the vestry.

Preposition: at

  • corner: The oldest part of the present building is in fact a sloping medieval buttress at the south west corner of the nave.
  • angle: Stepped buttress at northeast angle in ' B ' .
  • end: Angle buttress at east end could be of similar date.

Adjective modifier

  • massive: A four-storey battlemented tower with massive corner buttresses was built in 1816 adjoining the north aisle, to replace an earlier structure.
  • huge: We emerge at the foot of a huge rocky buttress to delightful grassy pastures.
  • main: The metal stake concreted into the ground on the flat area above the main buttress was removed by the National Trust in August 2000.
  • small: Other smaller buttresses have provided a number of short problems.
  • next: The next buttress is... Barker's Buttress 95.

Preposition: on

  • side: On one of the buttresses on the south side is a cross picked out in flint.
  • wall: Three buttresses on south wall in gray Victorian sandstone.

Modifying Another Word

  • straight: East wall:- separated from the chancel by a straight buttress from which rises an octagonal chimney.
  • right: They are described from left to right Twin Deck The obvious two tiered buttress just right of the birch wood.

Preposition: of

  • tower: These were needed to support the wide diagonal buttresses of the tower above.
  • rock: After close examination a good buttress of rock was spotted about 3 meters off the line of descent and an anchor was placed here.