The long-drawn aisle and fretted vault. --Gray.
2. An arched apartment; especially, a subterranean room, use
for storing articles, for a prison, for interment, or the
like; a cell; a cellar. ``Charnel vaults.'' --Milton.
The silent vaults of death. --Sandys.
To banish rats that haunt our vault. --Swift.
3. The canopy of heaven; the sky.
That heaven's vault should crack. --Shak.
4. [F. volte, It. volta, originally, a turn, and the same
word as volta an arch. See the Etymology above.] A leap or
bound. Specifically:
(a) (Man.) The bound or leap of a horse; a curvet.
(b) A leap by aid of the hands, or of a pole, springboard,
or the like.
Note: The l in this word was formerly often suppressed in
pronunciation.
{Barrel}, {Cradle}, {Cylindrical}, or {Wagon}, {vault}
(Arch.), a kind of vault having two parallel abutments,
and the same section or profile at all points. It may be
rampant, as over a staircase (see {Rampant vault}, under
{Rampant}), or curved in plan, as around the apse of a
church.
{Coved vault}. (Arch.) See under 1st {Cove}, v. t.
{Groined vault} (Arch.), a vault having groins, that is, one
in which different cylindrical surfaces intersect one
another, as distinguished from a barrel, or wagon, vault.
{Rampant vault}. (Arch.) See under {Rampant}.
{Ribbed vault} (Arch.), a vault differing from others in
having solid ribs which bear the weight of the vaulted
surface. True Gothic vaults are of this character.
{Vault light}, a partly glazed plate inserted in a pavement
or ceiling to admit light to a vault below.
The shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley.
--Sir W.
Scott.
2. [See {Vault}, v. i.] To leap over; esp., to leap over by
aid of the hands or a pole; as, to vault a fence.
I will vault credit, and affect high pleasures.
--Webster
(1623).
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself. --Shak.
Leaning on his lance, he vaulted on a tree.
--Dryden.
Lucan vaulted upon Pegasus with all the heat and
intrepidity of youth. --Addison.
2. To exhibit feats of tumbling or leaping; to tumble.