Added 9 October 2026
buttress
/ˈbʌtɹəs/ noun
In Latin: erisma Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about buttress at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
verb
-
Reinforce with a buttress.
Buttress the church
-
Make stronger or defensible.
buttress your thesis
Origin
From Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally “supporting arcs”), from bouterez (adjective), oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push”). Ultimately cognate with beat.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)