As a noun, a buttress is a structure built against a wall to support and strengthen it. As a verb, it means to support or strengthen an idea, argument, or structure.
From Old French 'bouterez,' related to 'bouter' meaning 'to thrust or push against.' In medieval architecture, buttresses were essential for holding up tall stone walls, especially in cathedrals. The word’s physical sense later evolved into the metaphorical sense of supporting arguments or systems.
Those dramatic stone ribs on the outside of Gothic cathedrals—the 'flying buttresses'—are what make the huge stained-glass windows possible. Because buttresses literally keep walls from collapsing, the word became perfect for describing evidence that keeps an argument from falling apart. It’s a great example of architecture turning into metaphor.
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