Vault

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /vɒlt/

Definitions

1. A chamber designed for storage or burial purposes can also refer to an activity involving jumping over an object with assistance from hands or equipment, along with a system that protects valuables securely
2. A structural element shaped as an arch supporting a ceiling or roof ; a locked room used to safeguard money or important items ; to propel oneself over an obstacle using hands or body momentum
3. An architectural form creating a curved overhead cover ; a fortified space designed to keep possessions safe ; the act of jumping over an object often using physical support

Etymology: The noun sense, an arched ceiling, comes from Old French "volte" (now "voûte"), which descends from a Vulgar Latin form built on the past participle of Latin "volvere", meaning "roll" or "turn". The idea is literal: a vault is a roof formed by turning a curve through space, so the architectural meaning is the older and more concrete one. English borrowed it in Middle English as "vaute" and "vowte", and it displaced the native Old English word "hwealf" for the same kind of roof. The verb sense, to jump over something, has a different origin. It was borrowed from Middle French "volter", meaning to turn or spin around and also to frolic, which came from Italian "voltare", itself from a Vulgar Latin frequentative of "volvere". The two lines of descent share the same Latin root, which is why they have so readily merged in English, and the verb's sense of a spinning leap sits neatly beside the noun's sense of a curved turn.

Synonyms: arch, dome, chamber, storehouse, cellar

Antonyms: flat, level, plain, ground, surface