buttress
nounUK /ˈbʌt.rəs/
US /ˈbʌt.rəs/
A buttress is a strong stone or brick support that holds up a wall.
The old church has stone buttresses along its sides to keep the walls standing.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. To buttress something means to make it stronger or support it.
The new evidence helped buttress her argument.
3. A buttress can be a natural ridge or root that supports a tree or hillside.
The tree's buttress roots spread wide across the ground.
4. In climbing, a buttress is a projecting part of a mountain or cliff.
The climbers chose a route up the rocky buttress.