buttress C2+ Topic:Architecture & Buildings US /ˈbʌtrəs/ UK /ˈbʌtrəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a support projecting from a wall; to reinforce or strengthen Fresh evidence buttressed the prosecution's case. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a support projecting from a... supportpropbracereinforcestrengthenbolstershoresustain ↔ Opposites weakenundermine Word family Derived forms buttressingbuttressed Related forms buttabut Etymology AI details From Old French (ars) bouterez ('thrusting arch'), from bouter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin, related to butt. bouterez Old French bouter Old French View etymology graph -> Topics Architecture & Buildings Word Formation & Derivatives General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # buttress **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈbʌtrəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbʌtrəs/ ## Meanings 1. a support projecting from a wall; to reinforce or strengthen ## Examples - Fresh evidence buttressed the prosecution's case. ## Synonyms - support - prop - brace - reinforce - strengthen - bolster - shore - sustain ## Antonyms - weaken - undermine ## Derived Forms - buttressing - buttressed ## Related Forms - butt - abut ## Roots and Affixes - Root: bouterez - Root: bouter ## Etymology From Old French (ars) bouterez ('thrusting arch'), from bouter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin, related to butt. ## AI Etymology Buttress comes from Old French (ars) bouterez ('thrusting arch'), from bouter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin, related to butt. The historical trail runs through bouterez in Old French and bouter in Old French. Used as a noun and verb, buttress now means "a support projecting from a wall; to reinforce or strengthen", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as buttressing and buttressed and related forms such as butt and abut. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English. ## Topics - Architecture & Buildings - Word Formation & Derivatives - General Vocabulary markdown