- a buttress supporting a wall or other structure by an arch or part of an arch that transmits the thrust outwards and downwards
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈfly•ing ˈbut•tress, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Architecturean arch or segment of an arch sticking out from and supporting a wall.
fly′ing but′tress, [Archit.]
- Architecturea segmental arch transmitting an outward and downward thrust to a solid buttress that through its inertia transforms the thrust into a vertical one. See illus. under buttress.
- 1660–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
flying buttress n
'flying buttress' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):