groined vault
- noun
- /ɡrɔɪnd vɔlt/
- Specialized
:
bóveda de arista
- The architect designed a stunning ceiling featuring a groined vault that enhanced the space with its intricate intersections.
Examples
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In medieval churches, the groined vault allowed for higher ceilings and better acoustics during services.
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And we see it in the use of these groin vaults on the second story of the Colosseum in Rome.
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Visitors were amazed by the elegant groined vault that created a dramatic effect in the cathedral's main hall.
Synonyms
4
5.8
An arched ceiling made of stone, brick, or concrete
1
8.1
An arched roof or ceiling often seen in churches
How Complex
- Specialized
- Specialized
4
5.8
- Specialized
41
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward adjective+noun: 'groined' (having a groin formed by intersecting arches) modifies 'vault' (an arched ceiling), so the sense 'a vault formed by intersecting barrel vaults' follows directly from the constituents. Although architectural and somewhat specialized, the meaning is compositional and therefore would be understandable to a B1 learner who already knows both constituent definitions.
Etymology
Groined vault gets its name from the word groin, the curved 'edge' made where two barrel vaults meet. When two vaults cross they form a strong ridge that sends the weight down into the corners, so a groined vault is a ceiling made where two vaults meet.