buttress

/ˈbətɹəs/

a structure built against a wall for support

buttress in a sentence

“Flying buttresses allowed Gothic cathedrals to soar.”

Old French bouterez, from bouter to thrust

Related Words

cornice

a horizontal molded projection crowning a building

portico

a covered entrance with columns

parapet

a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony

nave

the central part of a church between the aisles

cupola

a small dome on top of a roof

facade

the front or face of a building