The word buttress first budded in the world of architecture during the 14th century, when it was used to describe an exterior support that projects from a wall to resist the sideways force, called thrust, …

Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (sideways) forces arising out of inadequately braced roof structures.

BUTTRESS definition: any external prop or support built to steady a structure by opposing its outward thrusts, especially a projecting support built into or against the outside of a masonry wall. See …

us / ˈbʌ·trəs / a structure made of stone or brick that sticks out from and supports a wall of a building (Definition of buttress from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

buttress, in architecture, exterior support, usually of masonry, projecting from the face of a wall and serving either to strengthen it or to resist the side thrust created by the load on an arch or a roof.

To buttress an argument, system, or person means to give them support and strength.

Aug 23, 2025 · What is a Buttress in Construction? Buttresses are (although not exclusively) a type of structure built against or projecting from a wall to stabilise it and resist lateral loads.