Archings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Describing the act of bending or curving something into an arc shape
2. Referring to structures or forms that have an upper curve resembling an arch
3. Pertaining to designs or movements characterized by a graceful upward sweep or bow

Etymology: "Archings" is the plural of "arching," the present participle and gerund of the verb "arch." Its history therefore belongs to "arch," which entered English in the Middle Ages from Old French "arche," itself descended from Latin "arca," a chest or box. The link between a box and a curved doorway is the surprising part: the arch in building is named after the chest-like enclosure it forms, the way a vault or passage encloses a space. The verb arrived later, as a sense of forming something into the shape of an arch, and "arching" carries that action of bending or curving something into an arc. The plural form simply counts multiple instances of that action or multiple curved shapes at once.

Synonyms: curvings, bending, arching

Antonyms: straightenings