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.
It is felt most strongly in the memorial garden on the site of the fallen school, and among the white arched monuments of the cemetery.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Guests are welcomed by a gorgeous entrance with 10-foot ceilings, where striped wallpaper, crown molding, and large arched doorways immediately set the tone.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Metres away, other photographers yelled instructions to ornately dressed young women who held their fingers in victory signs and arched their backs for the camera.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The old factory at 120 Jefferson Northeast, a sand-colored brick building with its distinctive arched entryway, had gone out of business, and quickly.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026
After a skimpy breakfast of milk, they started out and soon were crossing the Thames River on a bridge that arched like a rainbow, high enough to allow huge cargo ships to travel under it.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
