: having (such) a point or (so many) points of origin
endarch
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As a prefix, arch- appears in a number of titles referring to positions of superiority, such as archduke and archbishop; it can also mean "chief" (as in archnemesis) or "extreme" (archconservative). It comes from the Greek verb archein, meaning "to begin or to rule."
Noun
There was a slight arch to her eyebrows.
an arch in the cat's back Verb
The cat arched its back.
She arched her eyebrows in surprise.
A tree arches over the road.
She arched backward to begin the exercise. Adjective
a politician known for his arch humor
The novel is never mocking or arch in its tone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The arches of the LA Memorial Coliseum will preside over the Olympics, becoming the first ever stadium to host three Olympic opening ceremonies and athletics competitions.—Issy Ronald, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024 Complete with an arch at top, this Kate and Laurel Arendahl Traditional Arch Mirror seems like something characters from Bridgerton would have in their homes.—Michelle Mastro, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2024
Verb
With the return of ‘90s boy beauty, Glossier couples the look with the arch of the feminine skinny brow (think: ‘Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, and Meagan Good) by adding a flat edge to fill and arch a pencil-thin look.—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 6 Aug. 2024 Get on your hands and knees and alternate between arching your back upward (like a cat) and dipping it downward (like a cow).—Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Tall, arch Electra, the electric train, promises to add very welcome camp into the proceedings but Tim Pigram is stymied because although his unexpectedly pointy inflatable costume (by Gabriella Slade) gets laughs, his dialogue falls short of the queeny promise.—David Benedict, Variety, 30 June 2024 The script is faithful to a fault; the dialogue that works so well on the page feels arch and mannered coming out of real people’s mouths.—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 23 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for arch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English arche, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *arca, from Latin arcus — more at arrow
Middle English arche-, arch-, from Old English & Anglo-French; Old English arce-, from Late Latin arch- & Latin archi-; Anglo-French arch-, from Late Latin arch- & Latin archi-, from Greek arch-, archi-, from archein to begin, rule; akin to Greek archē beginning, rule, archos ruler
Noun combining form
Middle English -arche, from Anglo-French & Late Latin & Latin; Anglo-French -arche, from Late Latin -archa, from Latin -arches, -archus, from Greek -archēs, -archos, from archein
: an anatomical structure that resembles an arch in form or function: as
a
: either of two vaulted portions of the bony structure of the foot that impart elasticity to it:
(1)
: a longitudinal arch supported posteriorly by the basal tuberosity of the calcaneus and anteriorly by the heads of the metatarsal bones
(2)
: a transverse arch consisting of the metatarsals and first row of tarsals and resulting from elevation of the central anterior portion of the median longitudinal arch
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