Other forms: archways
An archway is a passage under a curved span. Through the archway, a stone archway, an archway into the yard.
The curve carries the weight of the wall around the opening, which is why an archway can be cut through a load-bearing wall where a square hole would need a beam. Roman builders worked this out, and it is most of why their architecture is still standing.
1nounarchwayA passage under a curved span.
“We walked through a stone archway into a quiet courtyard.”
archway is a passage.
Arch plus way. Arch comes from Latin arcus, a bow or curve.
From arch + way.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA