Definition of Abutment

Babylon English Dictionary
structure that supports an arch or vault (as on a bridge); place where two adjoining structures come in contact, juncture; (Dentistry) teeth located on either side of a missing tooth; (Dentistry) tooth or root that serve as anchoring for a permanent or a removable dental prosthesis
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Abutment Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
(n.)
The solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut.
  
(n.)
That on or against which a body abuts or presses
  
(n.)
State of abutting.
  
(n.)
In breech-loading firearms, the block behind the barrel which receives the pressure due to recoil.
  
(n.)
A fixed point or surface from which resistance or reaction is obtained, as the cylinder head of a steam engine, the fulcrum of a lever, etc.
  
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. About
hEnglish - advanced version

abutment
\a*but"ment\ (&adot;*bŭt"ment), n.
1. state of abutting.
2. that on or against which a body abuts or presses; as (a) (arch.) the solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut. (b) (mech.) a fixed point or surface from which resistance or reaction is obtained, as the cylinder head of a steam engine, the fulcrum of a lever, etc. (c) in breech-loading firearms, the block behind the barrel which receives the pressure due to recoil.


  similar words(1) 



 abutment pier 
JM Welsh <=> English Dictionary
Cyffinid = n. an abutment
WordNet 2.0

Noun
1. point of contact between two objects or parts
(hypernym) point
(derivation) border, adjoin, edge, abut, march, butt, butt against, butt on
2. a masonry support that touches and directly receives thrust or pressure of an arch or bridge
(hypernym) support
Abutment Definition from Social Science Dictionaries & Glossaries
castle glossary
solid masonry placed to counteract the lateral thrust of a bridge, arch, or vault
Abutment Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
Wikipedia English - The Free Encyclopedia
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching roadway. This structure is basically a retaining wall designed to carry the loading conditions present in bridge structures. In architecture an abutment is formed of "solid masonry placed to resist the lateral pressure of a vault" (Nikolaus Pevsner). Specifically, an abutment may be the part of a structure that supports an arch.

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Abutment Definition from Society & Culture Dictionaries & Glossaries
Environmental Engineering (English ver.)
The part of a valley side wall against which a dam is constructed. An artificial abutment is sometimes constructed as a concrete gravity section to take the thrust of an Arch Dam where there is no suitable natural abutment. Right and left abutments are designated as one looks downstream.