vault

/vɔlt/

/vɔlt/

Other forms: vaulted; vaults; vaulting

Vault is a verb that means "to jump over something." If you were hurrying out to the pasture to visit your favorite cow, you might vault over the gate in your excitement.

When you support yourself with your hands as you jump over some hurdle, you vault, just as a gymnast might do across a vault — a piece of gymnastic equipment made to be vaulted over after a running start. Another meaning of vault is the arched roof of a building, or something that resembles such an archway. A storage chamber, especially one that's kept underground, is also a vault, like a bank vault.

Definitions of vault

1. noun

   a burial chamber (usually underground)
   synonyms: burial vault

   types:

   charnel, charnel house

   a vault or building where corpses or bones are deposited

   columbarium

   a sepulchral vault or other structure having recesses in the walls to receive cinerary urns

   type of:

   burial chamber, sepulcher, sepulchre, sepulture

   a chamber that is used as a grave
2. noun

   a strongroom or compartment (often made of steel) for safekeeping of valuables
   synonyms: bank vault

   type of:

   strongroom

   a burglarproof and fireproof room in which valuables are kept
3. noun

   an arched brick or stone ceiling or roof
   types:

   barrel vault

   the simplest form of vault; a single continuous arch

   groined vault

   two barrel vaults intersecting at right angles

   ribbed vault

   vault that resembles a groined vault but has ribbed arches

   type of:

   roof

   a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
4. noun

   the act of jumping over an obstacle
   synonyms: hurdle

   type of:

   jump, jumping

   the act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground
5. verb

   jump across or leap over (an obstacle)
   synonyms: overleap

   types:

   hurdle

   jump a hurdle

   type of:

   bound, jump, leap, spring

   move forward by leaps and bounds
6. verb

   bound vigorously
   type of:

   bound, jump, leap, spring

   move forward by leaps and bounds