vault

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal

n. an arched roof or ceiling made of stone or brick.

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

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

“The Gothic cathedral features intricate ribbed vaults that distribute the weight of the roof onto the massive external buttresses.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal

n. an underground room where people are buried.

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

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

“Historians entered the ancestral vault to examine the inscriptions on the seventeenth-century sarcophagi.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

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

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

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

“The gymnast performed a nearly flawless vault, earning the highest score of the competition for her technical precision and height.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing Technical

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

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

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

“The security software creates a virtual vault on the hard drive where sensitive financial documents are automatically encrypted.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

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

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

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

“The athlete managed to vault over the barrier with surprising agility, barely touching the top rail as he passed.”

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to suddenly move into a very high or important position.

v. to achieve a high position or status suddenly or dramatically.

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

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