Roman arch
1
6.2
- noun
:
arco romano
- Architects often study the Roman arch for its engineering principles and aesthetic appeal.
Examples
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Many ancient structures feature the iconic Roman arch, which is known for its semi-circular shape.
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Every piazza in his city, medieval built upon Roman arches, aqueducts, and columns, is named for a saint.
Fiction book (1999) -
Graceful Roman arches, built about 2,000 years ago, held up a carefully grafted water course more than 50 km long, from a rural spring to the city of Nimes.
Academic text (2003) -
The graceful design of the Roman arch allows for strong support in buildings and aqueducts.
Synonyms
A curved structure shaped like a half circle used above doors and bridges
A curved half-circle shape above a door or bridge seen in Roman buildings
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an arch characteristic of Roman architecture' is directly and literally derived from combining 'Roman' (pertaining to Rome) with 'arch' (an arched construction). This compositional, descriptive pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Roman arch comes from old Rome, where builders set stones in a half-circle so each stone pushes on the next and the top stone holds them together. This clever shape lets the arch 'carry heavy weight', so today Roman arch means a strong, half-circle arch used to support bridges and buildings.