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

There is a way through Spain that is all horseshoe arches, keyhole windows and bronze doors carved in Arabic script.

From New York Times

He won the speaker's office, a splendid 19th century confection of rich stonework, carved plaster and gilt partitions, along a corridor from the main parliament chamber under its stuccoed dome and arcade of horseshoe arches.

From Reuters

Because the Christian conquerors added their own flourishes and structures to many of these grand buildings, Moorish horseshoe arches are often twinned with Gothic vaults and spires.

From Washington Post

Visitors armed with selfie sticks and headsets mill between its white horseshoe arches, peering down at the tiled floor or up at the cherubs and christograms that sit alongside the geometric patterns.

From The Guardian

Its architecture is of the best Moorish style; the interior has twenty-eight horseshoe arches borne by thirty-two octagonal piers, and the elaborate capitals are ornamented with pine cones.

From Project Gutenberg