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ar·chi·volt

(ärkə-vōlt′)

A decorative molding carried around an arched wall opening.

[Italian archivolto or French archivolte (French, from Italian) : arco, arch (from Latin arcus) + volta, vault (from Latin volūta; see VAULT¹).]

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archivolt

doorway at Romsey Abbey

Romsey, England

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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