adjective
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provided with or spanned by an arch or arches
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shaped like an arch; curved
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arched
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."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Arched doorways, exposed wood beams, and intricate ironwork speak to the craftsmanship of the era, while expansive windows and doors frame views of the surrounding desert and the San Jacinto Mountains.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Also new in this year’s collection, Minnidip’s 3-by-5-foot Arched Checker chaise lounger; blow it up and bob away the day on your favorite waterway.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2022
Arched stained glass windows feature insignia and medals.
From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2021
Arched niches around the elevated tomb were used by centuries of pilgrims kneeling below; those kneeling pilgrims took pieces of the Cosmati twisted decoration around the tomb, though some pieces remain near the top.
From Washington Post • Jan. 10, 2019
Fast, and fast, and the thick black wood Arched its cowl like a black friar's hood; Fast, and fast, and they plunged therein, — But the viewless rider rode to win.
From The Little Book of Modern Verse; a selection from the work of contemporaneous American poets by Rittenhouse, Jessie Belle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
