I. vault 1 /vɔːlt $ vɒːlt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1-2, 4: Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: voute , from Vulgar Latin volvita 'turn, vault' , probably from volvitare ; ⇨ ↑ vault 2 ]
[ Sense 3: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ vault 2 ]
1 . a room with thick walls and a strong door where money, jewels etc are kept to prevent them from being stolen or damaged
2 . a room where people from the same family are buried, often under the floor of a church
3 . a jump over something
4 . a roof or ceiling that consists of several ↑ arch es that are joined together, especially in a church
II. vault 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: volter , from Vulgar Latin volvitare 'to turn, jump' , from Latin volvere 'to roll' ]
1 . [transitive] ( also vault over ) to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:
The robber vaulted over the counter and took $200 in cash.
2 . [intransitive] to move quickly from a lower rank or level to a higher one SYN leap
vault from/to
On Sunday Michigan vaulted from No. 4 to the nation’s top team.
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THESAURUS
▪ jump verb [intransitive and transitive] to push yourself up into the air, over something etc, using your legs:
The cat jumped up onto the table.
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He jumped over the stream.
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His horse jumped the fence successfully.
▪ skip verb [intransitive] to move forwards with little jumps between your steps, especially because you are feeling happy:
The little girl was skipping down the street.
▪ hop verb [intransitive] to jump or move around on one leg:
He was hopping around because he’d injured his foot.
▪ leap verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to suddenly jump up high or a long way:
The deer leapt over the fence.
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Tina leapt onto the boat as it was moving away.
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Fish were leaping out of the water.
▪ bounce verb [intransitive] to jump up and down several times, especially on something that has springs in it:
Children love bouncing on beds.
▪ dive verb [intransitive] to jump into water with your head and arms first:
Zoë dived into the swimming pool.
▪ vault /vɔːlt $ vɒːlt/ verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:
He vaulted the ticket barrier and ran for the exit.
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Ben tried to vault over the bar.