ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vault

n. · v.
US //ˈvɔɫt// UK //vˈɒlt// vault
  1. 1 secure storage (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very strong room, usually in a bank, used to keep money and valuable things safe.

    a secure room or compartment, typically constructed of reinforced steel or masonry, used for the storage of currency, bullion, or valuables.

    Example

    The bank manager led the customers into the vault to see their safety deposit boxes.

    Example

    The central bank's gold vault is protected by multiple layers of biometric security and thick reinforced steel doors.
  2. 2 arched ceiling (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    an arched roof or ceiling made of stone or brick.

    an arched masonry structure forming a ceiling or roof, often found in cathedrals or underground cellars.

    Example

    The old cathedral had a beautiful stone vault that echoed when people spoke.

    Example

    The Gothic cathedral features intricate ribbed vaults that distribute the weight of the roof onto the massive external buttresses.
Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 burial chamber (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    an underground room where people are buried.

    a burial chamber, typically underground, used for the interment of multiple members of a family.

    Example

    The family vault was located beneath the floor of the village church.

    Example

    Historians entered the ancestral vault to examine the inscriptions on the seventeenth-century sarcophagi.
  2. 4 gymnastics (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    a jump over a piece of equipment in gymnastics, or the equipment itself.

    a gymnastic event or specific movement involving a leap over a padded apparatus, typically using the hands for momentum.

    Example

    She practiced her vault for hours to make sure her landing was perfect.

    Example

    The gymnast performed a nearly flawless vault, earning the highest score of the competition for her technical precision and height.
  3. 5 digital storage (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

    a secure, encrypted place to store digital files or passwords.

    an encrypted digital archive or secure software environment used to protect sensitive data or credentials.

    Example

    I keep all my work passwords in a digital vault so I don't forget them.

    Example

    The security software creates a virtual vault on the hard drive where sensitive financial documents are automatically encrypted.
  4. 6 to jump over (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to jump over something while placing your hands on it to help you get over.

    to leap over an obstacle while using the hands or a pole for support and leverage.

    Example

    The boy vaulted over the low fence to catch the ball.

    Example

    The athlete managed to vault over the barrier with surprising agility, barely touching the top rail as he passed.
  5. 7 to reach a high position (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to suddenly move into a very high or important position.

    to achieve a high position or status suddenly or dramatically.

    Example

    Her first book vaulted her to the top of the bestseller list.

    Example

    The unexpected success of the startup vaulted the young founders into the ranks of the country's wealthiest entrepreneurs.
Etymology 1

From Middle English vaute, vowte, from Old French volte (modern voûte), from Vulgar Latin volta < volvita or *volŭta, a regularization of Latin volūta (compare modern volute (“spire”)), the past participle of volvere (“roll, turn”). Cognate with Spanish vuelta (“turn”) and Portuguese volta ("turn"). Doublet of volute.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle French volter (“to turn or spin around; to frolic”), borrowed from Italian voltare, itself from a Vulgar Latin frequentative form of Latin volvere; later assimilated to Etymology 1, above.

© 2026 English Reference