vault

¹ American  

[vawlt] / vɔlt /

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.

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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 American  

[vawlt] / vɔlt /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ 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

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noun

1. the act of vaulting

2. dressage a low leap; curvet

Related Words

See jump.

Other Word Forms

• vaulter noun
• vaultlike adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Vault is a verb that means "to jump over something." If you were hurrying out to the pasture to visit your favorite cow, you might vault over the gate in your excitement. When you support yourself with your hands as you jump over some hurdle, you vault, just as a gymnast might do across a vault — a piece of gymnastic equipment made to be vaulted over after a running start. Another meaning of vault is the arched roof of a building, or something that resembles such an archway. A storage chamber, especially one that's kept underground, is also a vault, like a bank vault.

Example Sentences

They’ve been up and down on vault, but Chiles took that regional title to help the Bruins, while sophomore Riley Jenkins has also had some success in the event.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The gold vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where $15 billion worth of the metal was kept at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

"He was one of the first filmmakers," said George Willeman, leader of the congressional library's nitrate film vault, who said the recovered reel was likely a third-generation copy of the Melies original.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Because the city’s homicide detectives were constantly responding to new murders, several weeks might pass before they could return their attention to an older case from the vault.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

I nearly trip over my own feet rushing toward the seed vault drawers.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

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