vault

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”). Doublet of volute.

noun

1. An arched masonry structure supporting and forming a ceiling, whether freestanding or forming part of a larger building.
   The decoration of the vault of Sainte-Chapelle was much brighter before its 19th-century restoration.
   the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
2. Any arched ceiling or roof.
3. (figurative) Anything resembling such a downward-facing concave structure, particularly the sky and caves.
   The stalactites held tightly to the cave's vault.
   The ſilent vaults of Death, vnknowne to Light; And Hell it ſelfe, lye naked to his ſight. 1636, George Sandys, “A Paraphrase upon Job”, in A Paraphrase upon the Divine Poems
   God said, ‘Let there be a vault through the middle of the waters to divide the waters in two.’ 1985, Bible (NJB), Genesis, 1:6
4. The space covered by an arched roof, particularly underground rooms and (Christianity, obsolete) church crypts.
5. Any cellar or underground storeroom.
   to banish rats that haunt our vault 1730, Jonathan Swift, A Panegyrick on the Dean
6. Any burial chamber, particularly those underground.
   Family members had been buried in the vault for centuries.
7. The secure room or rooms in or below a bank used to store currency and other valuables; similar rooms in other settings.
   The bank kept their money safe in a large vault.
8. (often figurative) Any archive of past content.
9. (computing) An encrypted digital archive.
10. (obsolete) An underground or covered conduit for water or waste; a drain; a sewer.
11. (obsolete) An underground or covered reservoir for water or waste; a cistern; a cesspit.
12. (obsolete, euphemistic) A room employing a cesspit or sewer: an outhouse; a lavatory.

verb

1. (transitive) To build as, or cover with a vault.
2. (video games) To remove (an item, character, etc.) from a video game in an update.
   In future updates, most likely in season six, more items will get vaulted. 31 August 2018, Steven Asarch, “'Fortnite' Developer Update 5.40: Storm Destruction, Revolver in Vault”, in Newsweek, New York, N.Y.: Newsweek Publishing LLC, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-10-03
   Blizzard will vault the gorgeous Hanamura and other Assault maps from Overwatch's competitive mode when 'Overwatch 2' arrives. 19 February 2021, Kris Holt, “Overwatch 2 Will Ditch The Widely Disliked Assault/2CP Maps”, in Forbes, New York, N.Y.: Forbes Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-02-02
   While some mistakes have resulted in Riot pulling Agents in the past, those changes were always temporary. If Riot is set on having only seven maps in the "Valorant," that likely means Split isn't coming back and more maps will get vaulted in the future. 17 June 2022, James Carr, “The Real Reason Valorant Is Dropping Its Oldest Map”, in SVG.com, archived from the original on 2022-11-28

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.

verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To jump or leap over with a hand and/or foot on the item for support.
   The fugitive vaulted over the fence to escape.
   The fugitive vaulted the fence to escape.

noun

1. An act of vaulting, formerly (chiefly) by deer; a leap or jump.
2. (gymnastics) A piece of apparatus used for performing jumps.
3. (gymnastics) A gymnastic movement performed on this apparatus.
4. (equestrianism) Synonym of volte: a circular movement by the horse.
5. (gymnastics) An event or performance involving a vaulting horse.