abutment: Meaning and Definition of

a•but•ment

Pronunciation: (u-but'munt), [key]
— n.
    1. a masonry mass supporting and receiving the thrust of part of an arch or vault.
    2. a force that serves to abut an arch or vault.
    3. a mass, as of masonry, receiving the arch, beam, truss, etc., at each end of a bridge.
    4. a mass or structure for resisting the pressure of water on a bridge, pier, or the like.
    5. each of the parts of a canyon or the like receiving the thrusts of an arch dam.
    6. a structure for absorbing tensions from reinforcing strands for concrete being prestressed.
  1. the place where projecting parts meet; junction.
  2. a tooth or tooth root that supports or stabilizes a bridge, denture, or other prosthetic appliance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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