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abutment

noun

abut·ment | \ ə-ˈbət-mənt

plural abutments

Definition of abutment

1 : the place at which abutting occurs

2a : 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

The district will be pouring concrete abutments and setting the bridge in the forest preserve back in place during the work. — Beacon-news Staff, Aurora Beacon-News, "Trail closures planned in Aurora, Sugar Grove," 14 June 2019 Wolf Pecher, an associate professor at the University of Baltimore, leads Dan to the rare native plant, the purple-stemmed cliff brake, discovered growing in a railroad bridge abutment during a recent biodiversity survey in the Jones Falls Valley. — Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "What's growing in Baltimore: purple cliff brakes and 100 orchards," 11 June 2018 The previous design for Avenue 8, using what is known as mechanically stabilized earth walls, is generally considered cheaper than the new design, using cast in place abutments. — Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, "California bullet train authority ordered part of a flawed bridge torn down," 8 June 2018 While in pursuit of a car that failed to stop at a checkpoint, North Carolina State Trooper Samuel Newton Bullard struck a bridge abutment and died, the Raleigh News-Observer reported. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Officers killed in the line of duty in 2018," 28 July 2018 These symbols, really hieroglyphs, appeared on posts and bridge abutments, on fences and outbuildings. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Hobo Hieroglyphs: Their Secret Symbols, Explained," 21 Nov. 2018 Trooper Samuel Newton Bullard While in pursuit of a car that failed to stop at a checkpoint, North Carolina State Trooper Samuel Newton Bullard struck a bridge abutment and died, the Raleigh News-Observer reported. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "Officers killed in the line of duty in 2018," 19 Sep. 2018 Metro’s plan is to remove and dispose of the steel framing, concrete abutments and footers and regrade and revegetate the area, Ashe said. — Luz Lazo, Washington Post, "Metro faces roadblock in race to demolish Georgetown trolley trestle," 1 June 2018 On the eastern banks of the Farmington River is the trust’s Henry Mason Trail, a loop that runs along the canal to the aqueduct abutments and north along the river. — Peter Marteka, courant.com, "The Ruins Of An Engineering Wonder Along The Farmington River," 13 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abutment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

30 Jun 2019

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The first known use of abutment was in 1644

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More Definitions for abutment

abutment

noun

English Language Learners Definition of abutment

technical : a heavy structure that supports something (such as a bridge)

See the full definition for abutment in the English Language Learners Dictionary

abutment

noun

abut·ment | \ ə-ˈbət-mənt

Medical Definition of abutment

: 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, 1991 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, 2003

abutment

noun

abut·ment | \ ə-ˈbət-mənt