Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BUTTRESS

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connect today's word to others: Let's talk about support and protection. Today's word buttress can be both an architectural feature that provides some grand building with support, and an abstract or figurative source of support. And our previous word b___ion can be both an architectural feature that provides some grand building with protection, and an abstract or figurative source of protection. Can you recall it?  (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "BUTTRESS" Literally speaking, a buttress is a part of a building or other structure (like a castle or a dam) that's built up against a wall to give support. In the picture below, on the left, you'll see a tall buttress; on the right is a short buttress: You may have also heard of "flying buttresses," the kind that stand a bit apart from the wall: (The images are courtesy of Wikimedia.) So, figuratively speaking, to buttress something is to provide it with strong, stable support. Pronunciation: BUH tress Part of speech: Usually a verb, the transitive kind: "this evidence buttresses their claim." Sometimes a noun, the countable kind: "Forms of ... debate are essential buttresses of the parliamentary process" (The Guardian). Other forms: buttresses, buttressed, buttressing How to use it: Use "buttress" when you need formality and imagery. That is, when you're saying that one thing buttresses a second thing, you're suggesting that the first thing is like a vertical support tacked onto the second thing, which you're suggesting resembles a grand building, like a castle or a cathedral, that might otherwise be vulnerable to a collapse or an attack. Talk about people buttressing things, like claims, cases, and arguments; themes, theories, narratives, and points of view; ideals, principles, and institutions; partnerships, alliances, and relationships; or the security of any group, system, process, industry, economy, etc. Although it's often people and their words and actions doing the buttressing, you can also say that facts, evidence, money, and other things buttress something on their own. Or, say that someone buttresses something with facts, evidence, etc. So far we've used the active voice, saying that "someone or something buttresses something else." We can also flip that around and use the passive voice, saying that "something is buttressed by someone or something else," as in "an opinion buttressed by facts," or "an industry buttressed by government subsidies." Every now and again, we talk about something buttressing another thing against some harmful force: "a longstanding bias that buttresses their opinion against new evidence and rational argument." examples: She said the customer had thrown a hamburger at her, a claim buttressed by video footage from the security camera. "With trepidation, I broke the flawless 'peel' [of the pastry] with my spoon. A thick layer of white chocolate ganache buttressed the delicate outer shell."    — Ceil Miller Bouchet, The Washington Post, 17 August 2018 study it: Explain the meaning of "buttress" without saying "brace" or "prop up." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(A shared interest or a common enemy) buttresses (some people's) (friendship or relationship)." Example: "A shared interest in board games and general nerdery buttressed our friendship." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Tidbits and Titles! I provide the tidbits; you provide the title. From our previous issue: Here's a quote from a novel: "Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning--either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now." And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that novel: castle, centaurs, coats, Deep Magic, four thrones, mane, river, snow, Stone Table, Turkish Delight, whispered, wonder, wood. What's the novel's title? Answer: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Try this today: Here's a quote from a novel: "She lay under the heavy coverlid, her cheeks rosy with sleep, her head peacefully resting on her little round arm, and with a happy expression on her baby face as if dreaming of something pleasant." And here are some terms and phrases that often appear in that novel: barrel-organ, beautiful, cheese, child, delight, fir-trees, goatherd, grandfather, mighty wind, milk, mountain, shawl, village. What's the novel's title? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of BUTTRESS is A. FORTIFY. B. INCRIMINATE. C. UNDERMINE. 2. Occasional _____ have buttressed the program, but more than a buttress, it needs a _____. A. plans .. benediction, a wish or a prayer for its success B. donations .. mainstay, a permanent, primary source of support C. passersby .. siren, an irresistible figure to draw in waves of participants  Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B