Final answer:
A flying buttress is an inclined bar of masonry carried on a segmental arch, used in Gothic architecture to transmit outward and downward thrust from a roof or vault to a solid buttress. It helps transfer weight loads from the upper stories to the ground, allowing for higher, thinner walls and other architectural features in the Gothic style.
Step-by-step explanation:
A flying buttress refers to an inclined bar of masonry carried on a segmental arch in Gothic architecture. It transmits an outward and downward thrust from a roof or vault to a solid buttress that transforms the thrust into a vertical one, effectively transferring the weight loads from the upper stories to the ground. The flying buttresses became an architectural part of the structure and allowed for the use of higher, thinner walls, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and spired towers in the later Gothic style.