bell arch
1
9.1
- noun
- /bɛl ɑrtʃ/
- Specialized
- The old church features a bell arch above the entrance, supported by carved corbels.
Examples
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Architects admired the elegant design of the bell arch in the ancient monastery.
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Many churches feature a bell arch above the main door.
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A bell arch can often be found in Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
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The bell arch added elegance to the entrance.
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A bell arch can often be found in Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
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Architects admired the elegant design of the bell arch in the ancient monastery.
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The old church features a bell arch above the entrance, supported by carved corbels.
Synonyms
70
3.5
A curved structure that spans an opening and supports weight
14
4.0
A curved opening people walk through, often made of stone or brick
1
4.1
A curved half-circle shape above a door or bridge seen in Roman buildings
1
9.9
An arch made by stacking layers of stone or brick that stick inward until they meet at the top
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: an arch that has a bell-like (rounded) shape, formed by combining 'bell' (bell-shaped form) with 'arch' (arched construction). This noun+noun subtype naming pattern is common and follows straightforward semantic modification, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun bell arch may come from the arch's shape: the curved arch looks like a hanging bell on small stone supports. That's why the name means 'an arch with a rounded shape that rests on small stone supports'.