horseshoe arch

American  

noun

1. an arch with the intrados widening above the springing and then narrowing to a rounded crown.

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horseshoe arch British  

noun

1. an arch formed in the shape of a horseshoe, esp as used in Moorish architecture

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Etymology

Origin of horseshoe arch

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Twenty-eight feet above the pavement, over the horseshoe arch, a cabalistic key and a gigantic hand are carved on two stones.

From The Moors in Spain by Lane-Poole, Stanley

Here we may see one more monument of the Moors, a horseshoe arch, once a part of the Mosque.

From The Story of Seville by Hartley, C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine)

The Moors of north Africa, however, never employed it, preferring the horseshoe arch which they brought into Spain and developed in the mosque of Cordova.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4 "Aram, Eugene" to "Arcueil" by Various

It is, perhaps, worthy of record that the inverted horseshoe arch more nearly approximates what is commonly considered the Moorish form; or, to give it a wider locale, Mediterranean, at least.

From The Cathedrals of Northern France by McManus, Blanche

The great original feature of the Mooresque architecture is found in the famous horseshoe arch, which was used so extensively in their mosques and palaces.

From History of Human Society by Blackmar, Frank W. (Frank Wilson)