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arch
1[ ahrch ]
/ ÉrtÊ /
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noun
verb (used with object)
to cover with a vault, or span with an arch: the rude bridge that arched the flood.
to throw or make into the shape of an arch or vault; curve: The horse arched its neck.
verb (used without object)
to form an arch: elms arching over the road.
Nautical. hog (def. 14).
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Origin of arch
1First recorded in 1250â1300; Middle English arch(e), from Old French arche, from Vulgar Latin arca (unrecorded), feminine variant of Latin arcus arc
Words nearby arch
Arcella, Arcesilaus, Arcesius, arcform, arc furnace, arch, archaea, archaean, archaebacteria, archaebacterium, archaeo-
Other definitions for arch (2 of 7)
arch2
[ ahrch ]
/ ÉrtÊ /
adjective
noun
Obsolete. a person who is preeminent; a chief.
Origin of arch
2First recorded in 1680â90; independent use of arch-1
Other definitions for arch (3 of 7)
arch-1
a combining form that represents the outcome of archi- in words borrowed through Latin from Greek in the Old English period; it subsequently became a productive form added to nouns of any origin, which thus denote individuals or institutions directing or having authority over others of their class (archbishop; archdiocese; archpriest). More recently, arch-1 has developed the senses âprincipalâ (archenemy; archrival) or âprototypicalâ and thus exemplary or extreme (archconservative); nouns so formed are almost always pejorative.
Other definitions for arch (4 of 7)
Other definitions for arch (5 of 7)
-arch
a combining form meaning âchief, leader, ruler,â used in the formation of compound words: monarch; matriarch; heresiarch.
Origin of -arch
Other definitions for arch (6 of 7)
arch.
abbreviation
Other definitions for arch (7 of 7)
Arch.
abbreviation
Archbishop.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use arch in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for arch (1 of 5)
arch1
/ (ÉËtÊ) /
noun
a curved structure, normally in the vertical plane, that spans an opening
Also called: archway a structure in the form of an arch that serves as a gateway
something curved like an arch
- any of various parts or structures of the body having a curved or archlike outline, such as the transverse portion of the aorta (arch of the aorta) or the raised bony vault formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones (arch of the foot)
- one of the basic patterns of the human fingerprint, formed by several curved ridges one above the otherCompare loop 1 (def. 10a), whorl (def. 3)
verb
Word Origin for arch
C14: from Old French arche, from Vulgar Latin arca (unattested), from Latin arcus bow, arc
British Dictionary definitions for arch (2 of 5)
arch2
/ (ÉËtÊ) /
adjective
(prenominal) chief; principal; leadinghis arch rival
(prenominal) very experienced; expertan arch criminal
knowing or superior
playfully or affectedly roguish or mischievous
Derived forms of arch
archly, adverbarchness, nounWord Origin for arch
C16: independent use of arch-
British Dictionary definitions for arch (3 of 5)
arch-
archi-
combining form
chief; principal; of highest rankarchangel; archbishop; archduke
eminent above all others of the same kind; extremearchenemy; archfiend; archfool
Word Origin for arch-
ultimately from Greek arkhi-, from arkhein to rule
British Dictionary definitions for arch (4 of 5)
-arch
n combining form
leader; ruler; chiefpatriarch; monarch; heresiarch
Word Origin for -arch
from Greek -arkhÄs, from arkhein to rule; compare arch-
British Dictionary definitions for arch (5 of 5)
arch.
abbreviation for
archaic
archaism
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for arch
arch
In architecture, a curved or pointed opening that spans a doorway, window, or other space.
notes for arch
The form of arch used in building often serves to distinguish styles of architecture from one another. For example, Romanesque architecture usually employs a round arch, and Gothic architecture, a pointed arch.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.