Jettying

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The architectural practice of projecting upper floors beyond the lower ones in a building ; the act of extending or jutting out structures over a body of water to facilitate docking or loading ; the process of protruding parts in construction or marine contexts to provide support or access
2. A method in construction where upper storeys extend outward past the ground level ; a structure built out into a water body to assist ships in mooring or cargo handling ; the action of elements or objects extending forward in design or placement for functional or aesthetic reasons
3. The technique of building projecting sections of a house above lower levels ; an elongated pier or platform reaching into water for transportation or fishing purposes ; the formation of structures that extend outward to create additional space or utility in architecture and maritime use

Etymology: Jettying is the form of "jetty" used for the projecting upper storeys of old timber-framed buildings, where each floor stuck out past the one below it. The noun reaches English from Anglo-Norman and Middle French "geté", a past participle used as a noun, meaning a projecting upper storey, and later a breakwater or pier. That French word came from "jeter", "to throw", which descends from Late Latin "iectare", a frequentative of "iacere", so the underlying idea is something thrown or cast outward. The verb is simply the noun turned into an action, so to jetty is to build such overhanging storeys or to project in that way. The English noun is thus a single word that moved between two senses: an overhang on a house, and a stone structure reaching out over water. Both share the image of something pushed beyond its base.

Synonyms: projecting, jutting, overhanging, protruding, extending

Antonyms: receding, withdrawing, retreating, retracting, contracting