abutment

Meaning

Noun

• 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.
• The part of a valley or canyon wall against which a dam is constructed.
• 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.

Origin

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