Forms: α. 4 Sc., 5 voute (4 Sc. wout-); 4, 6 vowte (5 vowytn), 6 vought, 7 Sc. wowt; 6 volt, 6, 7 Sc., voult. β. 5–6 vawte (5 vawth-), 5–7 vaut(e, 6 vaught. γ. 6 vaulten, vaulte, valte, 6– vault. [ad. OF. vouter, voulter, volter, vaulter (mod.F. voûter), f. voute, etc., VAULT sb.1]
1. trans. To construct with, to cover in with, a vault or arched roof. Also with over.
α. 1387. Charters Edinb. (1871), 35. The forsaidys … sal mak and voute v. chapellis on the south syde of the paryce kyrc of Edynburgh.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. ciii. 3. Thou voltest it aboue with waters.
1616. Extr. Aberd. Rec. (1848), II. 338. The said Thomas … sall voult ouer the nethermest voultis the hight of the tolbuith fluir.
a. 1656. R. Gordon, Contin. Hist. Earls Sutherl. (1813), 509. The Earl … finished the great tour the same yeir, wowting it to the top.
β. 1511–2. in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 478. They can … vawte the chirch … after the fourme of a platte therfor devised.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 42 b. They doo vaute the floore with Bryckes.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 1714/1. Sir William Chester … and John Calthrop … couered and vauted the towne ditch from Aldersgate to Newgate.
γ. 1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, I. v. 12. The first builders of this house vaulted under the ground a secret way unknowne to any but my selfe.
1650. Earl Monm., trans. Senault’s Man bec. Guilty, 303. The Concavity of Trees hung in the aire, hath taught our Architects to vault buildings.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 73/2. What-ever sort of Arch you vault your Bridge with.
1829. Bowles, Days Departed, 8. Ask of the Geologist How Nature, vaulting the rude chamber, scoop’d Its vast recesses.
1848. G. S. Hillard, in Life Longf. (1891), II. 111. But to combine them all, to vault them with such a sky,… this is not easy.
1894. Baring-Gould, Deserts S. France, II. 104. The various attempts made to vault the naves.
b. In pa. pple. used predicatively. (Cf. VAULTED ppl. a.)
α. 1387. Charters Edinb. (1871), 35. The fyfte chapel woutyt with a durre.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), iii. 17. And undre theise Stages ben Stables wel y-vowted for the Emperours Hors.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. 689. Fresche alures with lusty hiȝe pynacles,… Vowted aboue like reclinatories.
1511. Guylforde’s Pilgr. (Camden), 26. There is a fayre large Chapell, well voughted and lyghted by many lampes brennynge.
1538. Leland, Itin. (1769), II. 53. A right fair and costely peace of Worke … made al of Stone and curiusly voultid.
β. 1434. Indenture Fotheringhey, in Dugdale, Monast. (1846), VI. 1414/2. Three strong and mighty arches vawthid with stoon.
1448. Hen. VI., in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 356. .ij. chambres aboue, vauted.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. lxxxix. 99/1. The houses within were well vawted with stone, so that the engynes nor spryngalles dyd the men but small domage.
1584. B. R., trans. Herodotus, II. 105 b. He caused an oxe to be made of wood, inwardly vauted and hollow within.
1612. Selden, Illustr. Drayton’s Poly-olb., Note to iii. 238. Chedder Cleeues, rocky and vauted, by continual distilling, is the fountain of a forcible stream.
γ. 1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iii. Narrow Vales vaulted about with Hils.
1615. trans. De Monfart’s Surv. E. Indies, 10. The said place is all vaulted about with Porches.
1686. Wood, Life, 10 July. Buried … in a grave brickt and vaulted over with bricks.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 165. The inside is vaulted, and is large enough for the reception of eight or ten beavers.
1815. Elphinstone, Acc. Caubul (1842), I. 19. It was rain-water, preserved in small reservoirs, vaulted over with brick and mortar.
1831. Scott, Cast. Dang., viii. The study … was vaulted with stone.
1873. Tristram, Moab, v. 77. Long ranges of buildings … most solidly vaulted.
c. Of things: To form a vault over (something); to cover like a vault; to overarch.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 214. The dismal hiss Of fiery Darts in flaming volies flew, And flying vaulted either Host with fire.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, I. 70. The wall beginning to bend forward, Arch-wise, as if it were to vault a Portico.
1719. Young, Busiris, IV. i. Have I not seen whole armies vaulted o’er With flying jav’lins?
1736. Wesley, Jrnl., 23 Jan. (1829), I. 21. I was vaulted over with water in a moment.
1777. G. Forster, Voy. round World, II. 187. The tufted arbours which vaulted over the paths, are hung with beautiful flowers of all kinds.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., VII. 231. Blaze-trailing fuses vault the night’s dim round, And shells and langrage lacerate the ground.
2. absol. To construct a vault or vaults. rare–0.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 512/1. Vowtyn, or make a vowte, arcuo, testudino.
1552. Huloet, Vaulten or make vaultes, or arches, fornico.
1570. Levins, Manip., 16/40. To valte, arcum ducere.
3. To bend, arch, or raise (something) after the manner of a vault.
1552. Huloet, Vaulten or make bente lyke a bowe, arcuor.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CXXXVI. iii. Whose skillfull art did vault the skies.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 376. You must Vault the Earth, whereby it may hang over them, and not touch them.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v., To vault a horse-shoe, is to forge it hollow,… that the shoe, thus hollow or vaulted, may not bear upon the sole that is higher than the hoof.
1833. Tennyson, Lotos-Eaters, 85. Hateful is the dark-blue sky, Vaulted o’er the dark blue sea.
1877. J. Bryce, Transcauc. & Ararat (1896), 36. Looking … across the vast expanse, with the wide blue sky vaulted over it.
† 4. To make vaults or cavities under (something).
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 77. Wee shall vault and vndermine your foundations in such maner that they shalbe torne vpside downe.
5. intr. To curve in the form of a vault.
1805. Eugenia de Acton, Nuns of Desert, II. 166. Its roof, the spangled arch, which vaulted to the footstool of the Throne of Mercy.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., V. 30. A dusky deep, serene as breathless even, Seem’d vaulting downward like another heaven.
1844. Emerson, Misc., Tantalus, Wks. (Bohn), III. 323. Her mighty orbit vaults like the fresh rainbow into the deep.
