abutment

noun

abut·​ment ə-ˈbət-mənt How to pronounce abutment (audio)
plural abutments
1
: the place at which one thing borders on or abuts another
Once it chanced that I stood in the very abutment of a rainbow's arch, which filled the lower stratum of the atmosphere, tinging the grass and leaves around, and dazzling me as if I looked through colored crystal.Henry David Thoreau
2
a
: the part of a structure (such as an arch or a bridge) that directly receives thrust or pressure
b
dentistry : a tooth or part of a dental implant to which a prosthetic appliance (such as a bridge or artificial crown) is attached for support
A dental bridge, like a highway bridge … is supported by abutments, sound teeth on either side of the empty gap.Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health

Examples of abutment in a Sentence

The car crashed into a bridge abutment.
Recent Examples on the Web From designing and milling dental prosthetics to creating custom abutments, the lab leverages this technology to consistently produce superior results. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 Chuck Lee, assistant director of dam safety programs at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said at a news conference Wednesday that officials were notified around 5:30 a.m. that the left abutment was leaking from the dam. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024 Its concrete abutments are anchored into sheer rock walls. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2024 On each of the two bridges, four pilings 4 feet in diameter and as much as 80 feet deep were attached to the sides of each abutment. Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023 Although the freeway was deemed safe from collapse, experts said the bridge abutments needed even more strengthening with the installation of pilings to avoid damage in a future quake. Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023 These symbols, really hieroglyphs, appeared on posts and bridge abutments, on fences and outbuildings. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 The abutment, back center, would become part of the Long Island Bridge, which opened August 1951 and connected Long Island to the mainland by way of Moon Island. Ellie Wolfe, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023 Construction started in November with improvements to the concrete abutments and wing walls. Mike Jones, Arkansas Online, 22 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abutment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

abut + -ment

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abutment was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near abutment

Cite this Entry

“Abutment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abutment. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abutment

noun
abut·​ment ə-ˈbət-mənt How to pronounce abutment (audio)
1
: the place of abutting
2
: something against which another thing rests its weight or pushes with force
abutments that support a bridge

Medical Definition

abutment

noun
abut·​ment ə-ˈbət-mənt How to pronounce abutment (audio)
: a tooth or part of a dental implant to which a prosthetic appliance (such as a bridge or artificial crown) is attached for support
A dental bridge, like a highway bridge … is supported by abutments, sound teeth on either side of the empty gap.Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health
Once the healing period is over, the gum is cut open again and a little metal cylinder called an abutment is put in the implant. It takes another few days for the gum to heal before the crown is put on …Harvard Health Letter

Legal Definition

abutment

noun
abut·​ment ə-ˈbət-mənt How to pronounce abutment (audio)
: the place at which abutting occurs
at the abutment of two properties
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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