A Groin Vault Is Named After the Human Body
The groin is where the abdomen meets the thigh. Architecture borrowed the word for the edge where two vaults intersect.
The groin is the area where the abdomen meets the thigh. Architecture borrowed the name for the sharp edge formed where two barrel vaults cross at right angles: a *groin vault*, and the *groin* is the line of intersection. Romanesque churches are full of them, and the term is a direct anatomical metaphor for the fold where two surfaces meet. A coastal *groyne*, spelled differently in Britain, is a barrier built out into the sea to stop sand drifting.
- The body's fold. *A groin injury.*
- A vault intersection. *A groin vault.*
- Groyne — a sea barrier, British spelling. *Wooden groynes.*
- Inguinal — the medical adjective. *An inguinal hernia.*
- Barrel vault — the shape that crosses. *A barrel vault.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | groin | A groin strain. |
| Plural | groins | The groins. |
| Compound | groin vault | A groin vault. |
| Variant | groyne | A sea groyne. |
| Adjective | inguinal | Inguinal. |
- He pulled a muscle in his groin.Injury.
- The crypt has groin vaults.Architecture.
- Groynes hold the beach in place.Coastal engineering.
Vault types in stone building
- Barrel vault — a simple continuous arch
- Groin vault — two barrel vaults crossing at right angles
- Rib vault — with stone ribs carrying the load
- Fan vault — the elaborate late English Gothic form
- Each step let builders make windows larger and walls thinner
Middle English *grynde*, from Old English *grynde*, a depression or abyss. The spelling was influenced by *loin*.
What is a groin vault?
The structure formed where two barrel vaults cross at right angles. The sharp intersecting edges are the groins.
Is a groyne the same word?
A related spelling used in Britain for a coastal barrier built to trap drifting sand.