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abutment

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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several abutments

Etymology

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    First attested in 1644; engineering sense first attested in 1793. From Old French aboutement.[1] Equivalent to abut +‎ -ment.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    abutment (countable and uncountable, plural abutments)

    1. The point of junction between two things, in particular a support, that abuts. [First attested in the mid 17th century.][1]
    2. (engineering, architecture) The solid portion of a structure that supports the lateral pressure of an arch or vault. [First attested in the mid 18th century.][1]
    3. (engineering) A construction that supports the ends of a bridge; a structure that anchors the cables on a suspension bridge. [First attested in the mid 18th century.][1]
      • 1959 May, “Talking of Trains: Bethnal Green alterations”, in Trains Illustrated, page 236:
        Each of the bridges consists of six separate girder spans on brick abutments.
    4. (engineering) 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.
    5. Something that abuts, or on which something abuts. [First attested in the mid 18th century.][1]
    6. The state of abutting.
    7. (architecture) That element that shares a common boundary or surface with its neighbor.
    8. (dentistry) The tooth that supports a denture or bridge.
    9. A fixed point or surface where resistance is obtained.
      The fulcrum acted as an abutment.

    Translations

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    References

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    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abutment”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 11.
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