oubliette
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of oubliette
1810–20; < French, Middle French, equivalent to oubli ( er ) to forget, Old French oblider < Vulgar Latin *oblītāre, derivative of Latin oblītus (past participle of oblīvīscī to forget; see oblivion) + Middle French -ette -ette
Explanation
For all you prison enthusiasts out there, the oubliette is like the Cadillac of dungeons. An oubliette is a specific type of dungeon that has only one escape route — through a trap door in its ceiling. An oubliette is very well constructed from the captor's point of view. With the only entrance and exit being in the ceiling far above where the prisoner stands, escape is pretty much impossible. You may have seen oubliettes depicted in horror movies. As you may have guessed from the spelling, oubliette is a French word.
Vocabulary lists containing oubliette
Power Suffix: -ette
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American Gods
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Typically, La Oubliette would layer beers with meads — that ancient honey wine of the gods — to create unique and playful poured concoctions.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2022
Well, the games went on; and nothing would please some of the young ones but we should see the Oubliette.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 55, No. 341, March, 1844 by Various
Keeper of the Oubliette, Wouldst thou have us more and more In thine everlasting debt— Thrust them through the Little Door.
From The So-called Human Race by Taylor, Bert Leston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
