basket-handle arch

8.2

An arch with a wide, flat curve made from parts of three circles, often used in bridges and large buildings

noun

Specialized

: arco de asa de cesta

The cathedral’s nave is supported by a series of basket-handle arches that create a vast, open space.

Examples

Unlike a traditional semicircular arch, the basket-handle arch offers greater width and elegance to the structure.
Architects often choose the basket-handle arch for bridges needing both strength and aesthetic appeal.
The basket-handle arch is a unique architectural feature.
Many bridges incorporate a basket-handle arch design.
The cathedral’s nave is supported by a series of basket-handle arches that create a vast, open space.
Architects often choose the basket-handle arch for bridges needing both strength and aesthetic appeal.
Unlike a traditional semicircular arch, the basket-handle arch offers greater width and elegance to the structure.

Synonyms

three-centered arch

vsbasket-handle arch

Specialized

9.9

A curved opening made by joining three curves into a wide, low shape

focuses on a shape that is wider and flatter than a semicircle

Surface Forms

basket-handle arch singular

basket-handle arches plural

Morphology

basket-handle + arch

A learner who knows 'basket', 'handle' and 'arch' can plausibly infer that a 'basket-handle arch' is an arch shaped like the handle of a basket (i.e., a flattened, rounded arch), so the basic idea is compositional. However, the precise technical description (inner curve formed by arcs from three circles, wider and flatter than a semicircle) is specialized architectural detail that is not fully predictable from the constituents, so the term is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun basket-handle arch comes from the curved shape of a basket's handle, which is wide and gently bent. That's why the name describes an 'arch' that is wider and flatter than a 'half-circle'.