arch

play

noun \ ˈärch \

Definition of arch

1 :a typically curved structural member spanning an opening and serving as a support (as for the wall or other weight above the opening)

2 a :something resembling an arch in form or function; especially :either of two vaulted portions of the bony structure of the foot that impart elasticity to it

b :something that has a curved shape like an arch

There was a slight arch in her eyebrows.

an arch in the cat's back

3 :archway

See arch defined for English-language learners

See arch defined for kids

arch was our Word of the Day on 02/19/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of arch in a Sentence

There was a slight arch to her eyebrows.
an arch in the cat's back

Recent Examples of arch from the Web

Air Berlin already has links to Lufthansa, once its arch-rival, following an agreement to lease out part of its 144-strong aircraft fleet to Europe’s third-biggest airline group.

— richard weiss, Bloomberg.com, "Air Berlin Files for Insolvency as Etihad Pulls Funding Plug," 15 Aug. 2017
That 1,200-foot-long steel arch bridge built over a gorge on Highway 154 had been the site of more than 50 suicides.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Community pushes for suicide barriers on Coronado Bridge," 11 Aug. 2017
But some arch-conservative groups are not having it.

— deirdre shesgreen, Cincinnati.com, "Conservatives attack Rob Portman over opposition to Obamacare repeal-only bill," 19 July 2017
Ole Miss led arch-rival Mississippi State 14-0 with around 10 minutes left to play in the traditional season-finale of bitter in-state rivals.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "The haters are waiting to pounce on Ed Orgeron and he knows it," 19 July 2017
Over the eons, wind and water have carved this landscape into a maze of stunning red sandstone arches and spires.

— katherine mast, Discover Magazine, "The Desert's Living Skin," 26 June 2017
Wadi Rum, Jordan This UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Jordan has a varied landscape of cliffs, caverns, narrow gorges, natural arches, and Mars-like red sand.

— caitlin morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "20 Places That Look Like They're On Another Planet," 29 May 2017
And a string of local TV stations recently purchased by the arch-conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group offered some unusual coverage of the explosive story of Gianforte’s famous Wednesday night assault of a reporter.

— zaid jilani, The Intercept, "In Montana Race, Rob Quist Had To Fight Off Both the Republicans and the GOP-Aligned Local Media," 26 May 2017
Beneath the arch is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (The Flame of the Immortal Warrior) and also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

— Smithsonian, "World War I Cemeteries & Memorials Around the World," 26 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of arch

Origin and Etymology of arch

Middle English arche, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *arca, from Latin arcus — more at arrow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

angle, arc, bend, bow, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, wind

Related Words

kink, warp; circle, ring, ringlet, round; coil, curl, curlicue (also curlycue); buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding; incurvature, reflection; decline, inclination, incline, slope; corner, turnoff; dogleg, hairpin

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

arch

verb

Definition of arch

transitive verb

1 :to cover or provide with an arch

A bridge arches the stream.

2 :to form into an arch

She arched her eyebrows.

intransitive verb

1 :to form an arch

Trees arch above the promenade.

2 :to take an arch-shaped course

The ball arched toward the basket.

See arch defined for English-language learners

Examples of arch in a Sentence

The cat arched its back.
She arched her eyebrows in surprise.
A tree arches over the road.
She arched backward to begin the exercise.

Recent Examples of arch from the Web

Instead of rounded, arched, or angled eyebrows, people on Instagram are now using PVA glue, concealer, and eyeliner to fake a Dr. Seuss-esque brow because...reasons.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Squiggle Lips Makeup Takes on Instagram Squiggle Eyebrows," 30 Aug. 2017
Ledner's client, Leonie Galatoire, had amassed a collection of antique architectural fixtures, including arched and stained glass windows from a 19th-century convent that had been demolished.

— susan langenhennig, NOLA.com, "Albert Ledner's legacy: New Orleans architect peppered the country with modernist marvels," 23 Aug. 2017
The small school from El Cajon should be good again this fall with the 6-4, 210-pound Jeremiah arching spirals.

— don norcross, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Eastern League football preview," 15 Aug. 2017
Her frozen breasts are enormous; her back is arched.

— john sedgwick, Vanities, "What’s Really Behind the Civil War to End Harvard’s Fraternities?," 9 Aug. 2017
Now the living room has two entrances to the sun-room, with its arching windows and stone wall.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Boston-Edison home of old Tigers’ owner reflects life in another time," 15 July 2017
Their gleaming backs arch out of the channel like sea monsters.

— bethany goodrich, Alaska Dispatch News, "Farming Alaska’s seas," 8 July 2017
That porch is in place and visible as a long rectangular piece just under the arching roofline on the east end of the building.

— james b. nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Panoramic views (and a sponsorship opportunity) come from above the worst seats in the Milwaukee Bucks arena," 5 July 2017
Smith alternates between dunking emphatically, crossing guys over and hitting high-arching jumpers.

— andrew perloff, SI.com, "2017 NBA Mock Draft: The YouTube Edition," 22 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of arch

see ¹arch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

bend, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerve

Antonyms

straighten, unbend, uncurl

Related Words

arc, round; incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect; deflect, divert; entwine, kink, swirl, turn, twine, twist, veer, warp; coil, curl, enroll (also enrol), loop, spiral; dent, dimple; meander, wave, weave, wind; decline, incline, slope

arch

adjective

Definition of arch

1 :principal, chief

your arch opponent/rival

an arch enemy

2 a :mischievous, saucy

b :marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence

known for her arch comments

… decided to answer them by being teacherly in a sort of arch, Olympian way.
—Gerald Early

—

archness

noun

See arch defined for English-language learners

Examples of arch in a Sentence

a politician known for his arch humor
The novel is never mocking or arch in its tone.

Did You Know?

As a prefix, arch- appears in a number of titles referring to positions of superiority, such as archduke and archbishop. Ultimately deriving (via Latin and French) from the Greek verb archein ("to begin, rule"), it can also mean "chief " (as in archnemesis) or "extreme" (as in archconservative). In the 17th century, as the "extreme" sense of arch came to be used frequently to describe rogues, knaves, and other clever and mischievous sorts, arch eventually settled into use as an adjective to describe one with impish or playful qualities. Use of the word has since extended to describe actions or remarks meant to be ironic, cutting, or condescending.

Origin and Etymology of arch

¹arch-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1547

See Words from the same year

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

foremost, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme

Antonyms

last, least

Related Words

distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renowned

Near Antonyms

inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

arch

abbreviation

Definition of arch

1 archaic

2 archery

3 architect; architectural; architecture

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Arch

abbreviation

Definition of Arch

Archbishop

arch-

prefix

Definition of arch-

1 :chief :principal

archfiend

2 :extreme :most fully embodying the qualities of the kind

archconservative

See arch- defined for English-language learners

See arch- defined for kids

Origin and Etymology of arch-

Middle English arche-, arch-, from Old English & Anglo-French; Old English arce-, from Late Latin arch- & Latin archi-; Anglo-French arch-, from Late Latin arch- & Latin archi-, from Greek arch-, archi-, from archein to begin, rule; akin to Greek archē beginning, rule, archos ruler

arch-

Definition of arch-

— see archi-

-arch

noun combining form

Definition of -arch

:ruler :leader

matriarch

Origin and Etymology of -arch

Middle English -arche, from Anglo-French & Late Latin & Latin; Anglo-French -arche, from Late Latin -archa, from Latin -arches, -archus, from Greek -archēs, -archos, from archein

-arch

adjective combining form

Definition of -arch

:having (such) a point or (so many) points of origin

endarch

Origin and Etymology of -arch

probably from German, from Greek archē beginning

ARCH Defined for English Language Learners

arch

play

noun

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

: a usually curved part of a structure that is over an opening and that supports a wall or other weight above the opening
: the raised area on the bottom of the foot that is formed by a curved section of bones
: something that has a curved shape

arch

verb

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

: to bend into the shape of an arch

arch

adjective

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

: having or showing an amused feeling of being superior to or knowing more than other people

arch-

prefix

Definition of arch- for English Language Learners

: main or chief
: extreme

ARCH Defined for Kids

arch

play

noun \ ˈärch \

Definition of arch for Students

1 :a usually curved part of a structure that is over an opening and serves as a support (as for the wall above the opening)

2 :something that has a curved shape like an arch

the arch of the foot

—

arched

\ˈärcht\ adjective

an arched doorway

arch

verb

Definition of arch for Students

arched; arching

1 :to form or shape into an arch :curve

The cat arched her back.

2 :to cover with an arch

Tree branches arched the narrow road.

arch

adjective

Definition of arch for Students

1 :²chief 2, principal

an arch opponent

2 :being clever and mischievous

an arch look

—

archly

adverb

Medical Dictionary

arch

play

noun \ ˈärch \

medical Definition of arch

1 :an anatomical structure that resembles an arch in form or function: as

a :either of two vaulted portions of the bony structure of the foot that impart elasticity to it:

(1) :a longitudinal arch supported posteriorly by the basal tuberosity of the calcaneus and anteriorly by the heads of the metatarsal bones

(2) :a transverse arch consisting of the metatarsals and first row of tarsals and resulting from elevation of the central anterior portion of the median longitudinal arch

b :arch of the aorta

2 :a fingerprint in which all the ridges run from side to side and make no backward turn

Illustration of arch

Learn More about arch

See words that rhyme with arch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for arch Spanish Central: Translation of arch Nglish: Translation of arch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of arch for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arch

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arch

Definition of arch

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arch was our Word of the Day on 02/19/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of arch in a Sentence

Recent Examples of arch from the Web

Illustration of arch

Origin and Etymology of arch

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Architecture Terms

arch

Definition of arch

Examples of arch in a Sentence

Recent Examples of arch from the Web

Origin and Etymology of arch

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

arch

Definition of arch

archness

Examples of arch in a Sentence

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of arch

arch Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

arch

Definition of arch

Other Architecture Terms

Arch

Definition of Arch

arch-

Definition of arch-

Origin and Etymology of arch-

arch-

Definition of arch-

-arch

Definition of -arch

Origin and Etymology of -arch

-arch

Definition of -arch

Origin and Etymology of -arch

Phrases Related to ARCH

Related Phrases

ARCH Defined for English Language Learners

arch

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

arch

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

arch

Definition of arch for English Language Learners

arch-

Definition of arch- for English Language Learners

ARCH Defined for Kids

arch

Definition of arch for Students

arched

arch

Definition of arch for Students

arch

Definition of arch for Students

archly

Medical Dictionary

arch

medical Definition of arch

Illustration of arch

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