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Glite Dictionary
skew arch

skew arch

9.4
An arch with ends that meet the front at an angle and that is used on bridges or tunnels
  • noun
  • /skjuː ɑːrtʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arco sesgado
  • The engineer designed a skew arch to allow the railway bridge to cross the road at an angle.

Examples

  • Constructing a skew arch requires precise calculations to ensure structural stability.

  • The old stone skew arch is admired for its unique angled construction.

  • The engineers designed a skew arch for the new bridge.

  • Many skew arches are found in historic structures.

  • The engineer designed a skew arch to allow the railway bridge to cross the road at an angle.

  • Constructing a skew arch requires precise calculations to ensure structural stability.

  • The old stone skew arch is admired for its unique angled construction.

Surface Forms

skew arch singular
skew arches plural

Morphology

skew + arch

The meaning is transparently composed from 'skew' (tilted/slanted) + 'arch' (arched structural element), yielding an arch set at an oblique angle; this is a literal, descriptive combination rather than an idiom. A B1 learner who knows both constituent words can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning, and similar compositional patterns occur across languages.

Etymology

Skew arch comes from skew ('slanted') plus arch. Picture an arch that must cross a road or track at a diagonal instead of straight on, so builders set the stones at a slant to make the curve fit. That's why it means 'an arch whose sides are not at right angles', used when a bridge or tunnel crosses something at an angle.