buttresslike

Buttresslike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or functions as a buttress, a projecting support that reinforces a wall or other structural element. The term is commonly applied in architecture and engineering to indicate features that compensate for lateral forces or add stability.

Origin and usage: The word combines buttress with the suffix -like. It is a descriptive, not a formal design category, and can be used across disciplines to convey a similarity in form or function to a traditional architectural buttress.

In architecture and structural engineering: Buttresslike elements may be integrated into the building mass or appear as external projections such as buttresses, pilasters, or brace-like fins. While flying buttresses are a well-known explicit form, buttresslike features can include counterforts against retaining walls, diagonal braces, or reinforced exterior fins that transfer lateral loads to the foundation.

Functional implications: These features typically help resist outward thrust from arches and vaults, stabilize tall walls, or distribute loads. The descriptor implies utility and appearance rather than a specific technical standard, and it may be applied to both historical and modern designs, including non-architectural contexts where a structure offers supplementary support.

See also: Buttress, flying buttress, counterfort, pilaster, brace.