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Synonyms
but·tress (bŭt́rĭs)

[Middle English buteras, from Old French bouterez, from bouter, to strike against, of Germanic origin.]

noun 

  1. A structure, usually brick or stone, built against a wall for support or reinforcement.
  2. Something resembling a buttress, as:
    1. The flared base of certain tree trunks.
    2. A horny growth on the heel of a horse's hoof.
  3. Something that serves to support, prop, or reinforce: “The law is by its very nature a buttress of the status quo” (J. William Fulbright)

transitive verb: -tressed, -tress·ing, -tress·es. 

  1. To support or reinforce with a buttress.
  2. To sustain, prop, or bolster: “The author buttresses her analysis with lengthy dissections of several of Moore's poems” (Warren Woessner)