# buttress

/ˈbətɹəs/ (US) · /bˈʌtɹəs/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/buttress
Updated: 2026-10-13

## Definition

a strong support built against a wall to hold it up and stop it from falling over.

For teachers: a projecting structure of stone, brick, or concrete built against a wall to strengthen and support it, especially in churches, cathedrals, and old fortified buildings.

## Examples

- Stone buttresses hold up the old church walls.
- The engineers added concrete buttresses to the bridge supports after cracks appeared during the inspection.
- The cathedral's flying buttresses, arcing outward like stone ribs, allowed medieval builders to raise walls of glass that would otherwise have collapsed under their own weight.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.