: 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
Example Sentences
The car crashed into a bridge abutment.
Recent Examples on the WebThe vehicle crossed the creek at a high speed and hit the abutment on the other side of the creek. Claire Rafford, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Sep. 2022 As many as 50 had called the camp, nestled between a freeway abutment and railroad tracks, home.The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 July 2022 The driver lost control and struck a bridge abutment in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Police Department said in a news release. Bob Dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 31 May 2022 Wauwatosa Police are investigating a fatal crash in which a 25-year-old man lost control of his vehicle and crossed over the median, hitting a light pole, tree and bridge abutment. Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2022 Abingdon Road will be closed by the MTAfrom 9 p.m. to midnight tonight to fix a pothole at the I-95 bridge abutment, weather permitting, according to a Harford County spokesperson. Jason Fontelieu, baltimoresun.com, 10 Feb. 2022 Poetry is dense and depends on the abutment of words and thoughts and ideas and suggestions. Ann Reynolds, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2021 According to police, Noelli was driving the vehicle on Quarry Road in Trumbull when the vehicle passed through an intersection and collided with a bridge abutment near Old Town Road. Seamus Mcavoy, courant.com, 30 Nov. 2021 According to a crash report from the National Transportation Safety Board, not only did the automatic brake system fail to engage, but the car also sped up into a concrete abutment.Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2021 See More