Boutement

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structure that supports an arch or a vault by transferring loads to the ground
2. A form of external support for an arch, commonly used in Gothic architecture to stabilize the wall
3. An architectural element that aids in distributing the weight of a structure, particularly in the context of arches and vaults

Etymology: The word comes from the French verb "bouter," "to push or thrust," which goes back to a Frankish word "bōtan," meaning "to strike." The same Germanic root gave English "beat," so an architectural term for pushing force is related to a word for hitting. In a building, an arch pushes sideways as well as down, and "boutement" names the outward thrust that its supports must resist. The term is closely tied to the "arc-boutant," or flying buttress, whose name is "bouter" in its present participle form, so it literally means "thrusting arch." English "abut" looks similar but comes from a different French source, "abouter," meaning "to end at" or "border on," so the resemblance is coincidental.