abutment

IPA/əˈbʌtmənt/
IPA/əˈbʌtmənt/

abutment — 名詞

  • abutmentsingular
  • abutmentsplural

1. a supporting structure built at a bridge's outermost sides, or beneath an arch,

1.名詞C1
釋義

橋臺；拱座

支撐橋樑或拱門的結構

a supporting structure built at a bridge's outermost sides, or beneath an arch, designed to take the weight and hold everything in place.

例句

The bridge's abutment was built from reinforced concrete to withstand the river's current.

這座橋的橋臺以鋼筋混凝土建造，以抵擋河水沖刷。

collocation: bridge abutment

Engineers inspected the stone abutments at both ends of the old railway bridge.

工程師檢查了老舊鐵路橋兩端的石砌橋臺。

passive: be inspected / plural form: abutments

同義詞
  • pier

    a column-like structure that supports a bridge, but a pier stands in the middle of a span, while an abutment sits at the end.

  • support

    a general term; abutment is a specific type of support for arches and bridges.

  • buttress

    a projecting structure built against a wall, not used for bridges or arches at their ends.

反義詞
  • span

    the open part of a bridge that the abutment supports; the span is the gap, the abutment is the anchor.

用法筆記

This is the most common meaning of abutment. The structure is typically paired with a bridge or arch — you do not normally use abutment alone to refer to a general support.

常見錯誤

❌The wall was an abutment for the bookshelf.
✅The wall was a support for the bookshelf.
💡abutment is a specialised term in civil engineering, not a general synonym for any support.

2. the act or method of using a supporting structure to hold something in place, es

2.名詞C1
釋義

支承作業

使用支撐結構的過程

the act or method of using a supporting structure to hold something in place, especially in building or construction work.

例句

Workers finished the abutment of the new bridge's steel girders to concrete supports.

工人完成了新橋鋼樑與混凝土支座的支承作業。

active voice: crew + finished + abutment of [X] to [Y]

The site supervisor walked the apprentices through the abutment process for the new railway bridge.

工地主任帶著學徒逐一講解新建鐵路橋的支承作業流程。

[subject] + walked + [people] + through + process: different frame from 'explained to'

同義詞
  • supporting

    a more general word; abutment specifically refers to supporting using a purpose-built base structure.

  • bracing

    strengthening or supporting with an added framework; bracing is temporary, abutment is permanent.

用法筆記

This uncountable sense is rare in everyday speech and appears mostly in technical reports or construction documents. Distinguish from sense 1 (the physical structure) and sense 3 (the contact point).

3. the line, edge, or point where two surfaces, objects, or pieces of land meet or

3.名詞C1
釋義

接合處

兩物體或表面相接的位置

the line, edge, or point where two surfaces, objects, or pieces of land meet or touch each other.

例句

Water seeped through the abutment between the old wall and the new floor.

水從舊牆與新地板之間的接合處滲了進來。

abutment + between + [two things]

At the abutment of the roof and the chimney, the builder added extra sealant.

在屋頂與煙囪的接合處，工人額外塗了密封膠。

abutment + of + [one thing] + and + [another]

同義詞
  • junction

    a point where two things meet; more common for roads, pipes, or wires.

  • seam

    a line where two pieces of material are joined; seam implies stitching or welding, while abutment implies simple contact.

  • boundary

    a dividing line between areas, often abstract; abutment is more concrete and physical.

反義詞
  • gap

    a space or opening between two things, the opposite of a point of contact.

用法筆記

This sense overlaps with junction or seam but is less common in everyday language. Unlike sense 1, it does not imply a load-bearing structure — any meeting of two surfaces qualifies.

常見錯誤

❌The abutment of the two roads was busy with traffic.
✅The junction of the two roads was busy with traffic.
💡abutment is not used for roads or paths; use junction or intersection.