Wiktionary

arch

See also: ARCH, ärch, arch-, -arch, and arch.

English Edit

 
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arch (3).

Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From Middle English arch, arche, from Old French arche (“an arch”), a feminine form of arc, from Latin arcus (“a bow, arc, arch”). Doublet of arc and arco. Displaced native Old English bīeġels.

Noun Edit

arch (plural arches)

  2. An inverted U shape.
  3. An arch-shaped arrangement of trapezoidal stones, designed to redistribute downward force outward.
  5. (architecture) An architectural element having the shape of an arch
  6. Any place covered by an arch; an archway.
    to pass into the arch of a bridge
  7. (archaic, geometry) An arc; a part of a curve.
  8. A natural arch-shaped opening in a rock mass.
  9. (anatomy) The curved part of the bottom of a foot.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb Edit

arch (third-person singular simple present arches, present participle arching, simple past and past participle arched)

  1. To form into an arch shape.
    The cat arched its back
  2. To cover with an arch or arches.
Translations Edit

References Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

From the prefix arch-. "Principal" is the original sense; "mischievous" is via onetime frequent collocation with rogue, knave, etc.

Adjective Edit

arch (comparative archer, superlative archest)

  2. Knowing, clever, mischievous.
    I attempted to hide my emotions, but an arch remark escaped my lips.
    • 1710 July 15 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Tuesday, July 4, 1710”, in The Tatler, number 193; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume III, London: I. Walker and Co.;  […], 1822, →OCLC:
      [He] spoke his request with so arch a leer.
    • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “Several Adventures that Happened to the Author. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page 247:
      I was every day furniſhing the Court with ſome ridiculous Story; and Glumdalclitch, although ſhe loved me to Exceſs, yet was arch enough to inform the Queen, whenever I committed any Folly that ſhe thought would be diverting to her Majeſty.
    • 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XVI, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 112:
      “Oh!” cried Mrs. Green, with an arch laugh, “you are acquainted with Monsieur Margot, then?”
    • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 46, in The History of Pendennis. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
      Blanche’s grey eyes gazed at Foker with such an arch twinkle that both of them burst out laughing […]
    • 1906, O. Henry, By Courier:
      A certain melancholy that touched her countenance must have been of recent birth, for it had not yet altered the fine and youthful contours of her cheek, nor subdued the arch though resolute curve of her lips.
    • 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 3, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
      Lassiter ended there with dry humor, yet behind that was meaning. Jane blushed and made arch eyes at him.
    • 2021 July 12, Nicholas Barber, “The French Dispatch: Four stars for Wes Anderson's latest”, in BBC‎[1]:
      When you're watching a Wes Anderson film, you know it. Within seconds, you spot the symmetrical compositions, the horizontal camera moves, the blocks of garish colour, the san-serif lettering, the arch, wordy, vaguely melancholy humour and all the other elements that distinguish his comedies from everyone else's.
    • 2023 March 14, Alexandra Jacobs, “Your Annoying Roommate Is Slaying on TikTok”, in The New York Times‎[2]:
      Ms. Brier specializes in point of view, or P.O.V., videos that confront relatable, often hateable characters, with a subtle sneer, gleefully rubbery body and arch delivery of generational catchphrases like “slay, queen” and “I got you,” often repeated for effect.
  3. Principal; primary.
    They were arch enemies.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit

Noun Edit

arch (plural arches)

  1. (obsolete) chief

See also Edit

Further reading Edit

Anagrams Edit

Czech Edit

Noun Edit

arch m inan

  1. sheet (in printing)

Declension Edit

Declension of arch (velar masculine inanimate)
singular plural
nominative arch archy
genitive archu archů
dative archu archům
accusative arch archy
vocative archu archy
locative archu arších
instrumental archem archy

Middle Dutch Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From Old Dutch *arg, from Proto-Germanic *argaz.

Adjective Edit

arch

  1. bad, depraved
  2. wrong, evil
  3. shameful
  4. bad, worthless, of low quality
Inflection Edit

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms Edit
Derived terms Edit
Descendants Edit
  • Dutch: arg, erg

Etymology 2 Edit

A substantive form of the adjective arch.

Noun Edit

arch n

  1. evil
  2. disaster, misfortune
Inflection Edit

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading Edit

Middle English Edit

Alternative forms Edit

Etymology Edit

From Old French arche.

Noun Edit

arch (plural arches)

  1. arch
  2. arc

Descendants Edit

References Edit

Middle Welsh Edit

Etymology Edit

From the root of erchi (“to request”), from Proto-Celtic *ɸarsketi, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ-.

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

arch f

  1. request

Verb Edit

arch

  1. second-person singular imperative of erchi

Mutation Edit

Middle Welsh mutation
Radical Soft Nasal H-prothesis
arch unchanged unchanged harch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Scots Edit

Noun Edit

arch (plural archs)

  1. Alternative form of airch

References Edit

Welsh Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From Middle Welsh arch, from Proto-Brythonic *arx, from Latin arca.

Noun Edit

arch f (plural eirch)

  1. (obsolete) chest, coffer
  2. coffin (a box for the dead)
    • 2020 February 28, BBC Cymru Fyw‎[4]:
      Mae’r arddangosfa yn ymchwilio i’r modd y caiff y corff dynol ei gadw wedi marwolaeth. Penllanw deng mlynedd o waith yw’r casgliad o jariau claddu ac eirch carreg maint llawn.
      The exhibition explores the way in which the human body is preserved after daeth. The collection of burial jars full-size stone coffins is the culmination of ten years' work.
  3. ark (a large boat with a flat bottom)
    • 1588, Y Beibl cyssegr-lan, Genesis 6:13, 14:
      A Duw a ddywedodd wrth Noa, Diwedd pob cnawd a ddaeth ger fy mron: oblegid llanwyd y ddaear â thrawsedd trwyddynt hwy: ac wele myfi a’u difethaf hwynt gyda’r ddaear. Gwna i ti arch o goed Goffer; yn gellau y gwnei yr arch, a phyga hi oddi mewn ac oddi allan â phyg.
      And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Derived terms Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

A back-formation from erchi (“to seek, ask for”).

Noun Edit

arch f (plural eirchion)

  1. request, command
Derived terms Edit

Etymology 3 Edit

An inflected form of erchi (“to seek, ask for”).

Verb Edit

arch

  1. second-person singular imperative of erchi

Mutation Edit

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal h-prothesis
arch unchanged unchanged harch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading Edit

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “arch”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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