haunch.

1. The side region of an arch between its crown and springing, often discussed in relation to support.

2. The hip, buttock, and upper hind-leg region of a person or animal.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• arch haunch
• vault haunch

On the page

A crack appeared near the arch’s haunch.

The vault haunch carried a thick layer of masonry.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture. Forms: Singular haunch; plural haunches. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.