arch

• enPR: ärch, IPA^(key): /ɑ˞tʃ/

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• (by analogy to arc, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ɑ˞k/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)tʃ

From Middle English arch, arche, from Old French arche (“an arch”) (French arche), a feminine form of arc, from Latin arcus (“a bow, arc, arch”).

arch (plural arches)

1. An inverted U shape.
2. An arch-shaped arrangement of trapezoidal stones, designed to redistribute downward force outward.
3. (architecture) An architectural element having the shape of an arch
4. Any place covered by an arch; an archway.

   to pass into the arch of a bridge

5. (archaic, geometry) An arc; a part of a curve.
6. A natural arch-shaped opening in a rock mass.
7. (anatomy) Curved part of the bottom of a foot.

• “arch” in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, →ISBN.

arch (third-person singular simple present arches, present participle arching, simple past and past participle arched)

1. To form into an arch shape

   The cat arched its back

2. To cover with an arch or arches.

From the prefix arch-. "Principal" is the original sense; "mischievous" is via onetime frequent collocation with rogue, knave, etc.

arch (comparative archer, superlative archest)

1. Knowing, clever, mischievous.

   I attempted to hide my emotions, but an arch remark escaped my lips.

   • Tatler

     [He] spoke his request with so arch a leer.

   • 1906, O. Henry, By Courier

     A certain melancholy that touched her countenance must have been of recent birth, for it had not yet altered the fine and youthful contours of her cheek, nor subdued the arch though resolute curve of her lips.

   • 1912, Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage, Chapter 3

     Lassiter ended there with dry humor, yet behind that was meaning. Jane blushed and made arch eyes at him.

2. Principal; primary.
   • Shakespeare

     the most arch act of piteous massacre

• archly

arch (plural arches)

1. (obsolete) A chief.
   • Shakespeare

     My worthy arch and patron comes to-night.

• arc

• arch in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• arch in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• arch at OneLook Dictionary Search

• Char, Rach, char, rach

arch m inan

1. sheet (in printing)

From Old Dutch *arg, from Proto-Germanic *argaz.

arch

1. bad, depraved
2. wrong, evil
3. shameful
4. bad, worthless, of low quality

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

• erch

• argeren

• Dutch: arg, erg

Substantive form of the adjective arch.

arch n

1. evil
2. disaster, misfortune

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

• “arch (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “arch (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “arch (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929
• “arch (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

From the root of erchi (“to request”), from Proto-Celtic *ɸarsketi, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ-.

• IPA^(key): /arχ/

arch f

1. request

arch

1. second-person singular imperative of erchi