Showing Results for "arched"

See Also:

• past tense form of arch.
• past participle of arch.

arched

American  

[ahrcht] / ɑrtʃt /

adjective

1. made, covered, or spanned with an arch or arches.

2. having the form of an arch.

3. Heraldry. noting an ordinary or partition line formed as a slight curve.

---

arched British  

/ ɑːtʃt /

adjective

1. provided with or spanned by an arch or arches

2. shaped like an arch; curved

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unarched
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of arched

First recorded in 1575–85; arch ¹ + -ed ³

Explanation

Something that's arched is curved or rounded. An arched doorway has a curve at the top, and an arched eyebrow is raised and curved in surprise or skepticism. You can use the adjective arched to describe architectural details like arched windows and ceilings: "The long, arched passageways gave the palace a certain elegance." A curving vine across a trellis is arched, and so is the curve at the bottom of your foot. The root of arched is the Old French arche, "arch of a bridge," from Latin arcus, "a bow."

Related Words

• curved
• domed
• rounded