vault

[vawlt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vault ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

an arched structure resembling a vault.

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

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

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.

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

a burial chamber.

Anatomy. an arched roof of a cavity.

something likened to an arched roof: the vault of heaven.

verb (used with object)

to construct or cover with a vault.

to make in the form of a vault; arch.

to extend or stretch over in the manner of an arch; overarch: An arbor vaulted the path.

to store in a vault: The paintings will be vaulted when the museum is closed.

verb (used without object)

to curve or bend in the form of a vault.

Origin of vault

1300–50; (noun) alteration of Middle English voute < Old French vou(l)te, volte < Vulgar Latin *volvita, for Latin volūta, noun use of feminine past participle of Latin volvere to turn (see revolve); (v.) alteration of Middle English vouten < Old French vou(l)ter, volter, derivative of vou(l)te, volte

Related formsvault·like, adjective

vault

[vawlt]

verb (used without object)

to leap or spring, as to or from a position or over something: He vaulted over the tennis net.

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

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

to arrive at or achieve something as if by a spring or leap: to vault into prominence.

verb (used with object)

to leap over: to vault a fence.

to cause to leap over or surpass others: Advertising has vaulted the new perfume into first place.

noun

the act of vaulting.

a leap of a horse; curvet.

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

Origin of vault

1530–40; < French volte a turn and volter to turn, respectively < Italian volta (noun) and voltare (v.); see volt²

Related formsvault·er, noun

Synonyms for vault

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vault ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See jump.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for vault

box, cellar, safe, basement, tomb, pit, mausoleum, leap, ascend, bound, bounce, soar, dungeon, repository, crypt, sepulcher, crib, can, catacomb, grave

Examples from the Web for vault

Contemporary Examples of vault

They are simply repositories of capital, like so many gold bars in the vault of a bank.
London’s Oligarch Ghost Town
Tom Sykes
June 16, 2014
It was, he writes, like “looking into the vault of the universe.”
Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can
Darrell Hartman
May 15, 2014
But the shadow was not that of an archway; it was that of a vault.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
Vault of Satoshi, a Canadian based currency exchange, was surprised at the tech savvy seniors who have signed up.
Should Baby Boomers Invest in Bitcoin?
Sarah Kunst
January 9, 2014
Coinbase and Vault of Satoshi both allow users to purchase Bitcoin with dollars and other fiat currency.
Should Baby Boomers Invest in Bitcoin?
Sarah Kunst
January 9, 2014

Historical Examples of vault

Only the cashier and Alan Porter knew that it was in the vault.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
With that he locked the vault, and returned to the upper air.
Leila, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Arthur's answer was to put on his hat, and vault away with the paper.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
In a vault near that of Kilor's there is a great spool of it.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930
Various
We found the Regent dressing in the vault he used as his wardrobe.
The Memoirs of Louis XIV., His Court and The Regency, Complete
Duc de Saint-Simon

British Dictionary definitions for vault

vault

noun

an arched structure that forms a roof or ceiling

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

a burial chamber, esp when underground

a strongroom for the safe-deposit and storage of valuables

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

anatomy any arched or domed bodily cavity or spacethe cranial vault

something suggestive of an arched structure, as the sky

verb

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

(tr) to construct in the shape of a vault

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

Derived Formsvaultlike, adjective

Word Origin for vault

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

vault

verb

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

(intr) to do, achieve, or attain something as if by a leaphe vaulted to fame on the strength of his discovery

dressage to perform or cause to perform a curvet

noun

the act of vaulting

dressage a low leap; curvet

Derived Formsvaulter, noun

Word Origin for vault

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

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

Word Origin and History for vault

n.1

"arched roof or ceiling," c.1300, vaute, from Old French voute "arch, vaulted roof," from Vulgar Latin *volta, contraction of *volvita, noun use of fem. of *volvitus, alteration of Latin volutus "bowed, arched," past participle of volvere "to turn, turn around, roll" (see volvox). The -l- appeared in English c.1400.

"jump or leap over," 1530s (implied in vaulting), from Middle French volter "to gambol, leap," from Italian voltare "to turn," from Vulgar Latin *volvitare "to turn, leap," frequentative of Latin volvere "to turn, turn around, roll" (see volvox). Related: Vaulted; vaulting.

n.2

"a leap," 1763, from vault (v.).