But"ment (?), n. [Abbreviation of
Abutment.] 1. (Arch.) A buttress of an
arch; the supporter, or that part which joins it to the upright
pier.
2. (Masonry) The mass of stone or solid work
at the end of a bridge, by which the extreme arches are sustained, or by
which the end of a bridge without arches is supported.
Butment cheek (Carp.), the part of a
mortised timber surrounding the mortise, and against which the shoulders of
the tenon bear. Knight.