Arca

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A container or chest used for storing valuables or documents ; a protective box or case for keeping items safe ; an enclosed space or compartment designed to hold or secure objects
2. A type of box or stronghold for safeguarding treasures or important papers ; a secure receptacle or locker used to protect possessions ; an enclosure or cabinet meant to store and shield belongings
3. A storage vessel or safe housing for precious goods or records ; a locked or guarded casing to prevent loss or damage of contents ; a confined area or chest intended for preservation and defense of items

Etymology: The Latin "arca" meant simply a chest or storehouse, and the same word gave English its "ark", the vessel that carried Noah and his family through the flood. Both words came from a common Latin root, which is why a box for valuables and the great wooden ship of the Bible share a single ancestor. In English, "arca" survives mostly as a technical term rather than an everyday word. Its use in the sense of a container or protective case is inherited from Latin, where the word described any sturdy box, and it has remained a learned borrowing used in scientific and specialist writing. Its descendants also appear as the surname "Arca", which the same Latin noun underlies.

Synonyms: ark, chest, box, coffer, crate