What is "rampant vault"

Rampant \Ramp"ant\ (r[a^]mp"ant), a. [F., p. pr. of ramper to creep. See Ramp, v.]

1. Ramping; leaping; springing; rearing upon the hind legs; hence, raging; furious.

   The fierce lion in his kind Which goeth rampant after his prey.
   --Gower.

   [The] lion . . . rampant shakes his brinded mane.
   --Milton.

2. Ascending; climbing; rank in growth; exuberant.

   The rampant stalk is of unusual altitude.
   --I. Taylor.

3. (Her.) Rising with fore paws in the air as if attacking; -- said of a beast of prey, especially a lion. The right fore leg and right hind leg should be raised higher than the left. Rampant arch.

   1. An arch which has one abutment higher than the other.

   2. Same as Rampant vault, below.

      Rampant gardant (Her.), rampant, but with the face turned to the front.

      Rampant regardant, rampant, but looking backward.

      Rampant vault (Arch.), a continuous wagon vault, or cradle vault, whose two abutments are located on an inclined plane, such as the vault supporting a stairway, or forming the ceiling of a stairway.

Vault \Vault\ (v[add]lt; see Note, below), n. [OE. voute, OF. voute, volte, F. vo[^u]te, LL. volta, for voluta, volutio, fr. L. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn about. See Voluble, and cf. Vault a leap, Volt a turn, Volute.]

1. (Arch.) An arched structure of masonry, forming a ceiling or canopy.

   The long-drawn aisle and fretted vault.
   --Gray.

2. An arched apartment; especially, a subterranean room, use for storing articles, for a prison, for interment, or the like; a cell; a cellar. ``Charnel vaults.''
   --Milton.

   The silent vaults of death.
   --Sandys.

   To banish rats that haunt our vault.
   --Swift.

3. The canopy of heaven; the sky.

   That heaven's vault should crack.
   --Shak.

4. [F. volte, It. volta, originally, a turn, and the same word as volta an arch. See the Etymology above.] A leap or bound. Specifically:

   1. (Man.) The bound or leap of a horse; a curvet.

   2. A leap by aid of the hands, or of a pole, springboard, or the like.

      Note: The l in this word was formerly often suppressed in pronunciation.

      Barrel vault, Cradle vault, Cylindrical vault, or Wagon vault (Arch.), a kind of vault having two parallel abutments, and the same section or profile at all points. It may be rampant, as over a staircase (see Rampant vault, under Rampant), or curved in plan, as around the apse of a church.

      Coved vault. (Arch.) See under 1st Cove, v. t.

      Groined vault (Arch.), a vault having groins, that is, one in which different cylindrical surfaces intersect one another, as distinguished from a barrel, or wagon, vault.

      Rampant vault. (Arch.) See under Rampant.

      Ribbed vault (Arch.), a vault differing from others in having solid ribs which bear the weight of the vaulted surface. True Gothic vaults are of this character.

      Vault light, a partly glazed plate inserted in a pavement or ceiling to admit light to a vault below.