abutment
English
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abutment
- /əˈbʌt.mn̩t/ UK
- /əˈbʌt.mn̩t/ US
Rhymes with -ʌtmənt
Where it comes from
First attested in 1644; engineering sense first attested in 1793. From Old French aboutement. Equivalent to abut + -ment.
noun abutments
- The point of junction between two things, in particular a support, that abuts.
- The solid portion of a structure that supports the lateral pressure of an arch or vault.
- A construction that supports the ends of a bridge; a structure that anchors the cables on a suspension bridge. Each of the bridges consists of six separate girder spans on brick abutments.
- The part of a valley or canyon wall against which a dam is constructed. Heavy rains have caused the dam's abutments to seep, raising concern over possible dam failure.
- Something that abuts, or on which something abuts.
- The state of abutting.
- That element that shares a common boundary or surface with its neighbor.
- The tooth that supports a denture or bridge.
- A fixed point or surface where resistance is obtained. The fulcrum acted as an abutment.
Translations
Talk about this word "abutment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/abutment. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. abutment. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/abutment "abutment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/abutment.Cite this
@misc{abutment_2026,
title = {abutment},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/abutment},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
