noun🔗ShareContrefortA brick or stone structure built against another structure to support it."The old church wall needed a buttress to keep it from collapsing. "Le vieux mur de l'église avait besoin d'un contrefort pour l'empêcher de s'effondrer.architecturebuildingstructureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareContrefort, soutienAnything that serves to support something; a prop."The thick textbook acted as a buttress for the stack of papers on my desk, preventing them from toppling over. "Le manuel épais a servi de soutien à la pile de papiers sur mon bureau, les empêchant de basculer.architecturestructureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareContrefortA buttress-root."The oak tree's buttress-roots helped it stay firmly anchored in the rocky soil. "Les contreforts du chêne l'ont aidé à rester fermement ancré dans le sol rocheux.architectureplantbuildingChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareContrefort, éperon rocheuxA feature jutting prominently out from a mountain or rock; a crag, a bluff."The hikers scrambled up the steep slope, carefully avoiding the sharp buttress of rock that jutted out from the mountainside. "Les randonneurs ont grimpé la pente raide, évitant soigneusement l'éperon rocheux pointu qui dépassait du flanc de la montagne.geologygeographyChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareSoutien, renfortAnything that supports or strengthens."The extra support beams were a buttress to the weakened classroom wall. "Les poutres de soutien supplémentaires étaient un renfort pour le mur affaibli de la salle de classe.structurebuildingarchitectureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb🔗ShareÉpauler, soutenirTo support something physically with, or as if with, a prop or buttress."The students buttressed their argument with evidence from the textbook. "Les étudiants ont étayé leur argument avec des preuves tirées du manuel.architecturebuildingstructureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb🔗ShareÉtoffer, étayer, corroborer(by extension) To support something or someone by supplying evidence; to corroborate or substantiate."The student used research from several books to buttress her argument in the essay. "L'étudiante a utilisé des recherches issues de plusieurs livres pour étoffer son argumentation dans l'essai.statementlawcommunicationChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading