barrel vault

noun

: a semicylindrical vault
barrel-vaulted adjective

Examples of barrel vault in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Solis relied on that skill set to transform a raw warehouse into a functional production office that preserved its barrel vault design, deftly carving five offices, two conference rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and two flexible work areas out of the 3,500-square-foot space. Abigail Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2023 There is no grand lobby with barrel vault ceiling; instead, the viewer is greeted by the sloping walls and gentle asymmetries of a rough-hewn cave, our most archaic form of shelter. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023 Like the architect Louis Kahn, who had been his mentor at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Goldfinger sought to fuse modern styles with features found in vernacular Mediterranean architecture: barrel vaults, interior courtyards, vast blank walls. Clay Risen, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2023 The proposal adopts Barnes’ distinctive barrel vault, here placing two new ones at the north and south ends of a skylit arcade that runs the length of the building. Mark Lamster, Dallas News, 11 July 2023 The main floor features an opulent two-story great room with breathtaking views of the lake under a soaring double barrel vault ceiling. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2022 The six-bedroom concrete and stucco fortress with high, barrel vault ceilings is only a 10-minute walk from Ravello’s center square. Christopher Bollen, Town & Country, 8 June 2022 Next door lies the magnificent Banquet Hall, in which Gothic and classical architectural elements are masterfully orchestrated, with the wooden ceiling, shaped in a pointed barrel vault, reaching a height of 70 feet. Catesby Leigh, WSJ, 11 Mar. 2022 The garlands of pink wildflowers that wind over the steel blue barrel vault remind him of the mirasoles that grow along nearby country roads. New York Times, 11 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barrel vault.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barrel vault was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near barrel vault

Cite this Entry

“Barrel vault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrel%20vault. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!