/abut-meaning

/abut-meaning-etymology

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: əbʌt.

-) Etymology: from Old French abouter “to border on”, from a- (to) + buter “to push, strike”. The word was perhaps confused with Old French abuter “to put end to end, to come to an end, to aim”, from a- (to) + but “end, thing aimed at, purpose”.

-) Preterite tense: abutted. Preterite participle: abutted.

-) Present participle: abutting.

-) Documented since 1200.

-) Intransitively: a. (Of a land, estate, region, or the like) to be contiguous with another, along a border. 

-) Synonyms for “abut”: march with; border on; skirt; end at.

-) b. (Of two or more substances, estructures, etc) to be contiguous with a projecting part or end, as strata do when it is supported by another.

-) Translation: aboutir, in French; colindar, in Spanish; confinare, in Italian.

These glaciers […] were detached, not running in continuous curves along the coast, but abutting from opening valleys.

E. Kane…. Grinnell Expedition… 1915

-)With the preposition “on”, “upon”, “into”, or “against” + noun of what is contiguous:

To apply the arches to their piers, and to one another, they should abut upon one another.

A. Jamieson… A Dictionary of Mechanical Science… 1827

The passages wound through the walls of the modern part of the palace and abutted in effect at the old Owl Tower, as it was called, on the outer wall.

Thackeray… Barry Lyndon… 1844

Nevertheless, the houses in Guildford Place were near; and their back premises abutted against the outer aide of the wall along which he was now proceeding.

G. Reynolds… The mysteries of London… 1844

It was a steep rocky cliff, abutting far into the stream.  

Poe… Morning… 1844

Within this same crater, strata of coarse tuff, chiefly composed of fragments of lava, abut, like a consolidated talus, against the inside walls.

Darwin… Volcanic Islands… 1844

Philadelphia goes early to bed, and the streets were lonely and silent, but much better lighted than the portion of the town abutting upon the Delaware.

A. Mackay… The Western World… 1849

This afternoon a carrier’s cart with two men made a call at the empty house whose grounds abut on ours.

Bram Stoker… Dracula… 1897

-) Transitively: -) 1. To adjoin with an end; to border on.

[Blofield] is situated to the N. E. of Henstead, and, abutting the city of Norwich on its western extremity, comprehends an area of about twelve miles in length.

J. Dugdale… The New British Traveller… 1819

The said river wall is intended to be constructed as nearly as possible parrallel throughout with the raised land abutting the shore.

The London Gazette, Part 2… 1829

… other similar laths are then to be nailed throughout the whole length of the joists with their ends abutting each other.

The Mechanics' Magazine, Museum, vol. 23, 1835

… the argillaceous summits of the southern part are abutted by limestone.

G. Long… The geography of Great Britain… 1850

When two arches were placed abutting each other.

W. Bland… Experimental Essays… 1862

-) 2. To cause to abut or end against; to support by abutment; as, to abut a timber against a post.

To take and assess the value of such portion of the land in a like case, upon which a mill dam has been abutted with the consent of the owner. 

The Statutes of the State of Indiana… 1852

-) Words derived from “abut”: abutter, abutting, abutment, abuttal.

 

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