vault

¹

[vawlt]

noun

1. an arched structure, usually made of stones, concrete, or bricks, forming a ceiling or roof over a hall, room, sewer, or other wholly or partially enclosed construction.

2. an arched structure resembling a vault.

3. a space, chamber, or passage enclosed by a vault or vaultlike structure, especially one located underground.

4. an underground chamber, as a cellar or a division of a cellar.

5. a room or compartment, often built of or lined with steel, reserved for the storage and safekeeping of valuables, especially such a place in a bank.

6. a strong metal cabinet, usually fireproof and burglarproof, for the storage and safekeeping of valuables, important papers, etc.

7. a burial chamber.

8. Anatomy.,  an arched roof of a cavity.

9. something likened to an arched roof.

   the vault of heaven.

verb (used with object)

1. to construct or cover with a vault.

2. to make in the form of a vault; arch.

3. to extend or stretch over in the manner of an arch; overarch.

   An arbor vaulted the path.

4. to store in a vault.

   The paintings will be vaulted when the museum is closed.

verb (used without object)

1. to curve or bend in the form of a vault.

vault

²

[vawlt]

verb (used without object)

1. to leap or spring, as to or from a position or over something.

   He vaulted over the tennis net.

2. to leap with the hands supported by something, as by a horizontal pole.

3. Gymnastics.,  to leap over a vaulting horse or pommel horse, using the hands for pushing off.

4. to arrive at or achieve something as if by a spring or leap.

   to vault into prominence.

verb (used with object)

1. to leap over.

   to vault a fence.

2. to cause to leap over or surpass others.

   Advertising has vaulted the new perfume into first place.

noun

1. the act of vaulting.

2. a leap of a horse; curvet.

3. Gymnastics.,  a running jump over a vaulting horse or a pommel horse, usually finishing with an acrobatic dismount.

vault

¹

/ vɔːlt /

noun

1. an arched structure that forms a roof or ceiling

2. a room, esp a cellar, having an arched roof down to floor level

3. a burial chamber, esp when underground

4. a strongroom for the safe-deposit and storage of valuables

5. an underground room or part of such a room, used for the storage of wine, food, etc

6. anatomy any arched or domed bodily cavity or space

   the cranial vault

7. something suggestive of an arched structure, as the sky

verb

1. (tr) to furnish with or as if with an arched roof

2. (tr) to construct in the shape of a vault

3. (intr) to curve, arch, or bend in the shape of a vault

vault

²

/ vɔːlt /

verb

1. to spring over (an object), esp with the aid of a long pole or with the hands resting on the object

2. (intr) to do, achieve, or attain something as if by a leap

   he vaulted to fame on the strength of his discovery

3. dressage to perform or cause to perform a curvet

noun

1. the act of vaulting

2. dressage a low leap; curvet

Other Word Forms

• vaultlike adjective
• vaulter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vault¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun vaut(e), vout(e), volt(e), volute, from Old French volte, vote, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin volvita, for Latin volūta, noun use of feminine past participle of Latin volvere “to turn”; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of vault²

First recorded in 1530–40; verb from Middle French volter “to leap,” from Old Italian voltare, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin volvitāre “to turn, leap”; the noun is derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vault¹

C14: vaute, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin volvita (unattested) a turn, probably from Latin volvere to roll

Origin of vault²

C16: from Old French voulter to turn, from Italian voltare to turn, from Vulgar Latin volvitāre (unattested) to turn, leap; see _vault ¹

Synonym Study

See jump.

Example Sentences

“It’s not in the vault, it’s right there, but there is an issue with his estate,” the singer told Andy Cohen recently on “Watch What Happens Live.”

From Los Angeles Times

Standing in the central rotunda in 2014, beneath the cathedral-esque vaulted ceilings, it was hard to take in: I gazed down cellblock after cellblock, stretching out like spokes on a wheel.

From Salon

Cinematographer Michael Bauman puts together a gorgeous, silhouetted shot of St. Carlos’ skateboarding scouts vaulting over rooftops in front of a building lit up to look like the American flag.

From Los Angeles Times

The addition of Shohei Ohtani, and the tourists that follow him from Japan, supercharged the Dodgers’ business and finally vaulted the team over the magic 4 million mark.

From Los Angeles Times

The renovations will also afford guests a chance to access “the vault,” the second-floor art storage space that has thus far only been visible through stairwell windows.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• basement 
• box 
• cellar 
• mausoleum 
• pit 
• safe 
• tomb