arch
1
[ ahrch ]
/ ɑrtʃ /
noun
verb (used with object)
to cover with a vault, or span with an arch: the rude bridge that arched the flood.
to throw or make into the shape of an arch or vault; curve: The horse arched its neck.
verb (used without object)
to form an arch: elms arching over the road.
Nautical.
hog(def 14).
Origin of arch
1
1250–1300; Middle English
arch(e) < Old French
arche < Vulgar Latin
*arca, feminine variant of Latin
arcus
arc
Words nearby arch
arce,
arcella,
arcesilaus,
arcesius,
arcform,
arch,
arch beam,
arch board,
arch brace,
arch dam,
arch head
Definition for arch (2 of 7)
arch
2
[ ahrch ]
/ ɑrtʃ /
adjective
playfully roguish or mischievous: an arch smile.
cunning; crafty; sly.
noun
Obsolete.
a person who is preeminent; a chief.
Origin of arch
2
independent use of
arch-1
Definition for arch (3 of 7)
arch.
Definition for arch (4 of 7)
arch-
1
a combining form that represents the outcome of archi- in words borrowed through Latin from Greek in the Old English period; it subsequently became a productive form added to nouns of any origin, which thus denote individuals or institutions directing or having authority over others of their class (archbishop; archdiocese; archpriest). More recently, arch-1 has developed the senses “principal” (archenemy; archrival) or “prototypical” and thus exemplary or extreme (archconservative); nouns so formed are almost always pejorative.
Definition for arch (5 of 7)
Definition for arch (6 of 7)
-arch
a combining form meaning “chief, leader, ruler,” used in the formation of compound words: monarch; matriarch; heresiarch.
Origin of -arch
Definition for arch (7 of 7)
Example sentences from the Web for arch
British Dictionary definitions for arch (1 of 5)
arch
1
/ (ɑːtʃ) /
noun
a curved structure, normally in the vertical plane, that spans an opening
Also called: archway
a structure in the form of an arch that serves as a gateway
something curved like an arch
- any of various parts or structures of the body having a curved or archlike outline, such as the transverse portion of the aorta (arch of the aorta) or the raised bony vault formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones (arch of the foot)
- one of the basic patterns of the human fingerprint, formed by several curved ridges one above the otherCompare loop 1 (def. 10a), whorl (def. 3)
verb
Word Origin for arch
C14: from Old French
arche, from Vulgar Latin
arca (unattested), from Latin
arcus bow,
arc
British Dictionary definitions for arch (2 of 5)
arch
2
/ (ɑːtʃ) /
adjective
(prenominal)
chief; principal; leading
his arch rival
(prenominal)
very experienced; expert
an arch criminal
knowing or superior
playfully or affectedly roguish or mischievous
Derived forms of arch
archly, adverb archness, nounWord Origin for arch
C16: independent use of
arch-
British Dictionary definitions for arch (3 of 5)
arch.
abbreviation for
archaic
archaism
British Dictionary definitions for arch (4 of 5)
-arch
n combining form
leader; ruler; chief
patriarch; monarch; heresiarch
Word Origin for -arch
from Greek
-arkhēs, from
arkhein to rule; compare
arch-
British Dictionary definitions for arch (5 of 5)
arch-
archi-
combining form
chief; principal; of highest rank
archangel; archbishop; archduke
eminent above all others of the same kind; extreme
archenemy; archfiend; archfool
Word Origin for arch-
ultimately from Greek
arkhi-, from
arkhein to rule
Medical definitions for arch
arch
[ ärch ]
n.
An organ or structure having a curved or bowlike appearance, especially either of two arched sections of the bony structure of the foot.
Cultural definitions for arch
arch
In architecture, a curved or pointed opening that spans a doorway, window, or other space.
notes for arch
The form of arch used in building often serves to distinguish styles of architecture from one another. For example,
Romanesque architecture usually employs a round arch, and
Gothic architecture, a pointed arch.