| 释义 |
vault
I. \ˈvȯlt, chiefly Brit ˈvält\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English vout, voute, from Middle French voute, volte, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin volvita turn; vault, probably from volvitare to turn, leap, vault — more at vault III
1.
a. : an arched structure of masonry usually forming a ceiling or roof but sometimes carrying a separate roof, a floor, or a staircase — see barrel vault, groin 2, ribbed vault
b. : an arched structure superficially resembling a vault
< walking along a passage with white walls, and a white vault above — W.C.Bryant >
2.
a. : a room or space covered by an arched structure especially when underground
b.
(1) : a part of a cellar usually devoted to a special purpose (as the storage of wine or valuables)
(2) : such a compartment even when not covered by a vault (as below the street pavement in front of a building)
c.
(1) : a room for the safekeeping of valuables and commonly built of steel
(2) : a special compartment usually in a piece of office equipment for the safekeeping of money
3. : a place (as a cavern, the crater of a volcano, a great pit) resembling or suggesting a vault
< the vaults of Mt. Vesuvius >
4.
a. : a burial chamber with or without an arched roof especially when partially or entirely underground
b. : a prefabricated container typically of metal or concrete into which a casket is placed at burial
5. : the canopy of heaven : sky
< a falling star streamed down the blue vault — O.S.J.Gogarty >
6. : an arched or dome-shaped anatomical structure: as
a. : skullcap, calvarium
b. : the arched roof of the nasopharynx
c. : the combined hard and soft palate forming the roof of the mouth
d. : fornix 1d
7. : the pit of a privy
8. : an arched covering of calcareous plates between the arms of Paleozoic crinoids
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English vouten, from Middle French vouter, volter, from voute, volte vault
transitive verb
1.
a. : to form with or to cover with a vault : give the shape or the character of a vault to : arch
< vault a roof or ceiling >
b. : to overarch or extend over in the fashion of a vault
< tall elms vaulted the quiet street >
2. chiefly dialect : to place in or as if in a vault : bury
intransitive verb
: to arch, bend, or curve in the shape of a vault
III. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle French volter, from Old Italian voltare, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin volvitare to turn, leap, vault, freq. of Latin volvere to roll, turn, revolve — more at voluble
intransitive verb
1. : to bound vigorously; especially : to execute a leap using the hands or a pole — see pole-vault
< put his hand on the counter and vaulted over, landing heavily on the other side — Josephine Johnson >
< vaulted out of the hole and moved across the clearing — W.F.Davis >
< vaulted into the saddle — L.C.Douglas >
2. : to do or achieve something that resembles a leap
< the rapidity with which we vaulted to the position of world leadership — Reinhold Niebuhr >
transitive verb
: to leap over; especially : to leap over by or as if by aid of the hands or a pole
< vault a fence >
< have vaulted price levels beneath which they hovered for … years — J.T.Soby >
Synonyms: see jump
IV. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle French volte turn, vault, from Old Italian volta, from voltare to turn, vault
1. : an unusually vigorous leap : bound; especially : a leap over or upon something made by aid of the hands or of a pole
2. : the leap of a horse : curvet
Synonyms: see jump |