flying buttress: see buttress buttress, mass of masonry built against a wall to strengthen it. It is especially necessary when a vault or an arch places a heavy load or thrust on one part of a wall.
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flying buttress
flying buttress [¦flī·iŋ ′bə·trəs]
A characteristic feature of Gothic construction, in which the lateral thrusts of a roof or vault are taken up by a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust.
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flying buttress
Masonry structure typically consisting of an inclined bar carried on a half arch that extends (“flies”) from the upper part of a wall to a pier some distance away and carries the thrust of a roof or vault. A pinnacle (vertical ornament of pyramidal or conical shape) often crowns the pier, adding weight and enhancing stability. The flying buttress evolved in the Gothic era from earlier simpler, hidden supports. The design increased the supporting power of the buttress and allowed for the creation of the high-ceilinged churches typical of Gothic architecture.
flying buttress
a buttress supporting a wall or other structure by an arch or part of an arch that transmits the thrust outwards and downwards
flying buttress [¦flī·iŋ ′bə·trəs]
(architecture)
A buttress connected by an arch to the building it supports.
flying buttress
flying buttress: A
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