Vault \Vault\ (v[add]lt; see Note, below), n. [OE. voute, OF. voute, volte, F. vo[^u]te, LL. volta, for voluta, volutio, fr. L. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn about. See Voluble, and cf. Vault a leap, Volt a turn, Volute.]

1. (Arch.) An arched structure of masonry, forming a ceiling or canopy.

The long-drawn aisle and fretted vault. --Gray.

2. An arched apartment; especially, a subterranean room, use for storing articles, for a prison, for interment, or the like; a cell; a cellar. ``Charnel vaults.'' --Milton.

The silent vaults of death. --Sandys.

To banish rats that haunt our vault. --Swift.

3. The canopy of heaven; the sky.

That heaven's vault should crack. --Shak.

4. [F. volte, It. volta, originally, a turn, and the same word as volta an arch. See the Etymology above.]

A leap or bound. Specifically:
   (a) (Man.) The bound or leap of a horse; a curvet.
   (b) A leap by aid of the hands, or of a pole, springboard, or the like.

Note: The l in this word was formerly often suppressed in pronunciation.

Barrel, Cradle, Cylindrical, or Wagon, vault (Arch.), a kind of vault having two parallel abutments, and the same section or profile at all points. It may be rampant, as over a staircase (see Rampant vault, under Rampant), or curved in plan, as around the apse of a church.

Coved vault. (Arch.) See under 1st Cove, v. t.

Groined vault (Arch.), a vault having groins, that is, one in which different cylindrical surfaces intersect one another, as distinguished from a barrel, or wagon, vault.

Rampant vault. (Arch.) See under Rampant.

Ribbed vault (Arch.), a vault differing from others in having solid ribs which bear the weight of the vaulted surface. True Gothic vaults are of this character.

Vault light, a partly glazed plate inserted in a pavement or ceiling to admit light to a vault below.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Vault \Vault\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vaulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Vaulting.]

[OE. vouten, OF. volter, vouter, F. vo[^u]ter. See Vault an arch.]

1. To form with a vault, or to cover with a vault; to give the shape of an arch to; to arch; as, vault a roof; to vault a passage to a court.

The shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley. --Sir W. Scott.

2. [See Vault, v. i.]

To leap over; esp., to leap over by aid of the hands or a pole; as, to vault a fence.

I will vault credit, and affect high pleasures. --Webster (1623).

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Vault \Vault\, v. i. [Cf. OF. volter, F. voltiger, It. volt?re turn. See Vault, n., 4.]

1. To leap; to bound; to jump; to spring.

Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself. --Shak.

Leaning on his lance, he vaulted on a tree. --Dryden.

Lucan vaulted upon Pegasus with all the heat and intrepidity of youth. --Addison.

2. To exhibit feats of tumbling or leaping; to tumble.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)