ark

B2 Topic:Religion & Belief

US /ɑrk/ UK /ɑːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #8320

Meanings

1

noun
the great vessel that Noah built to preserve his family and animals from the biblical flood

The stained-glass window showed a dove returning to Noah's ark.
2

noun
a sacred chest, especially the Ark of the Covenant in the Hebrew Bible

The account describes the ark as a gold-covered chest containing the tablets of the law.
3

noun
a place or vessel that provides refuge or preserves something from danger

The seed vault was designed as an ark for threatened crop varieties.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the great vessel that noah... Noah's ark

2 noun · a sacred chest, especially... sacred chest

3 noun · a place or vessel that... refuge shelter sanctuary

More vessel chest

Word family

Derived forms arklike

Related forms delugeNoahcovenant

Etymology

From Middle English arke and Old English earc, borrowed from Latin arca ("chest, box"), related to arcere ("to enclose"). The Latin word translated both the biblical vessel of Noah and the sacred chest of the Covenant; the protective function later encouraged figurative uses for a refuge or means of preservation.

Topics

Religion & Belief

External links

# ark

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɑrk/
**IPA (UK):** /ɑːk/
**Frequency rank:** 8320

## Meanings
1. the great vessel that Noah built to preserve his family and animals from the biblical flood
2. a sacred chest, especially the Ark of the Covenant in the Hebrew Bible
3. a place or vessel that provides refuge or preserves something from danger

## Examples
- The stained-glass window showed a dove returning to Noah's ark.
- The account describes the ark as a gold-covered chest containing the tablets of the law.
- The seed vault was designed as an ark for threatened crop varieties.

## Synonyms
- vessel
- chest
- refuge
- shelter
- sanctuary

## Derived Forms
- arklike

## Related Forms
- deluge
- Noah
- covenant

## Etymology
From Middle English arke and Old English earc, borrowed from Latin arca ("chest, box"), related to arcere ("to enclose"). The Latin word translated both the biblical vessel of Noah and the sacred chest of the Covenant; the protective function later encouraged figurative uses for a refuge or means of preservation.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief

markdown