buttress

noun/ˈbʌtrəs/

Frequency rank: #17,535 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a structure built against a wall to strengthen or support it; or, to support or reinforce something.

Illustration for the English word “buttress”

Example sentence

The engineer decided to add a stone buttress along the old cathedral wall to keep it from collapsing.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 17,501–17,600