noun
- an arched structure, usually made of stones, concrete, or bricks, forming a ceiling or roof over a hall, room, sewer, or other wholly or partially enclosed construction.
- an arched structure resembling a vault.
- a space, chamber, or passage enclosed by a vault or vaultlike structure, especially one located underground.
- an underground chamber, as a cellar or a division of a cellar.
- a room or compartment, often built of or lined with steel, reserved for the storage and safekeeping of valuables, especially such a place in a bank.
- a strong metal cabinet, usually fireproof and burglarproof, for the storage and safekeeping of valuables, important papers, etc.
- a burial chamber.
- Anatomy. an arched roof of a cavity.
- something likened to an arched roof: the vault of heaven.
verb (used with object)
- to construct or cover with a vault.
- to make in the form of a vault; arch.
- to extend or stretch over in the manner of an arch; overarch: An arbor vaulted the path.
- to store in a vault: The paintings will be vaulted when the museum is closed.
verb (used without object)
- to curve or bend in the form of a vault.
verb (used without object)
- to leap or spring, as to or from a position or over something: He vaulted over the tennis net.
- to leap with the hands supported by something, as by a horizontal pole.
- Gymnastics. to leap over a vaulting horse or pommel horse, using the hands for pushing off.
- to arrive at or achieve something as if by a spring or leap: to vault into prominence.
verb (used with object)
- to leap over: to vault a fence.
- to cause to leap over or surpass others: Advertising has vaulted the new perfume into first place.
noun
- the act of vaulting.
- a leap of a horse; curvet.
- Gymnastics. a running jump over a vaulting horse or pommel horse, usually finishing with an acrobatic dismount.
noun
- an arched structure that forms a roof or ceiling
- a room, esp a cellar, having an arched roof down to floor level
- a burial chamber, esp when underground
- a strongroom for the safe-deposit and storage of valuables
- an underground room or part of such a room, used for the storage of wine, food, etc
- anatomy any arched or domed bodily cavity or spacethe cranial vault
- something suggestive of an arched structure, as the sky
verb
- (tr) to furnish with or as if with an arched roof
- (tr) to construct in the shape of a vault
- (intr) to curve, arch, or bend in the shape of a vault
verb
- to spring over (an object), esp with the aid of a long pole or with the hands resting on the object
- (intr) to do, achieve, or attain something as if by a leaphe vaulted to fame on the strength of his discovery
- dressage to perform or cause to perform a curvet
noun
- the act of vaulting
- dressage a low leap; curvet
“arched roof or ceiling,” c.1300, vaute, from Old French voute “arch, vaulted roof,” from Vulgar Latin *volta, contraction of *volvita, noun use of fem. of *volvitus, alteration of Latin volutus “bowed, arched,” past participle of volvere “to turn, turn around, roll” (see volvox). The -l- appeared in English c.1400.
“jump or leap over,” 1530s (implied in vaulting), from Middle French volter “to gambol, leap,” from Italian voltare “to turn,” from Vulgar Latin *volvitare “to turn, leap,” frequentative of Latin volvere “to turn, turn around, roll” (see volvox). Related: Vaulted; vaulting.
“a leap,” 1763, from vault (v.).