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vous·soir

(v-swär)

One of the wedge-shaped stones forming the curved parts of an arch or vaulted ceiling.

[French, from Old French vossoir, from Vulgar Latin *volsōrium, from *volsus, past participle of Latin volvere, to turn, roll; see wel-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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voussoir

semicircular arch

A. keystone

B. voussoirs

C. springers

D. imposts

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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