Flying buttress

/flˈaɪɪŋ bˈʌtɹəs/

Flying buttress

an arched structure made of stone used for supporting the outer wall of a building, especially a church

Examples

1. Perhaps the most striking architectural feature of the cathedral Were its flying buttresses.

2. Oh, and since I knew you were wondering, no, flying buttresses do not actually fly.

3. These flying buttress monumental spaces didn't only motivate earthly activity, they were representations of paradise on Earth.

4. The physics of flying buttresses reveals how innovative they were.