barrel vault
- noun
- /ˈbærəl vɔlt/
- Specialized
:
bóveda de cañón
- The ancient church features a stunning barrel vault that stretches across the nave, providing a sense of grandeur.
Examples
-
If one enters Saint-Sulpice, there is nothing more insipid than that naked barrel vault.
Academic text (1998) -
You can see the series of concrete barrel vaults here as they have built some elements up along the way.
-
He is close to Benjamin and to the Franciscan saints painted on the north (but not on the south) of the pointed barrel vault adjoining the counterfacade (Fig. 3).
Academic text (2006) -
The museum's gallery was enhanced by a beautiful barrel vault, which filled the space with natural light.
-
As we toured the historic building, we admired the ornate details of the barrel vault above our heads.
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 meaning is directly compositional: 'barrel' denotes a cylindrical shape and 'vault' denotes an arched ceiling, so a 'barrel vault' is readily understood as a vault shaped like a barrel. This noun‑noun compounding follows a transparent modifier + head pattern that is common cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Barrel vault gets its name from how it looks: the curved ceiling looks like a long barrel lying on its side, forming a rounded vault or 'ceiling'. That's why it means a long, curved 'ceiling' or 'roof' that helps spread the building's weight to the walls.