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English Lexicon

Buttress

/ˈbʌt.rɪs/
nounverbCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A projecting support of stone or brick built against a wall to give it stability.

    "The ancient cathedral was reinforced with massive stone buttresses to prevent the walls from collapsing."
As verb
  1. 1

    To increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce or support.

    "The company used new financial data to buttress its claim for increased market share."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from Old French 'boter' meaning to thrust or push, evolving into 'boterace' and later Middle English 'boteras'. Originally an architectural term for a projecting support built against a wall, it has metaphorically expanded to mean any support or prop for an argument, system, or institution.

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