n.
A decorative molding carried around an arched wall opening.
[Italian archivolto or French archivolte (French , from Italian) : arco, arch (from Latin arcus) + volta, vault (from Latin volūta; see vault1).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
