Pompeii

American  

[pom-pey, -pey-ee] / pɒmˈpeɪ, -ˈpeɪ i /

noun

1. an ancient city in SW Italy, on the Bay of Naples: it was buried along with Herculaneum by an eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in a.d. 79; much of the city has been excavated.

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Pompeii British  

/ pɒmˈpeɪiː /

noun

1. an ancient city in Italy, southeast of Naples: buried by an eruption of Vesuvius (79 _ad ); excavation of the site, which is extremely well preserved, began in 1748

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Pompeii Cultural  

1. A city of the Roman Empire, on the Italian seacoast, that was known for the luxury and dissipated ways of its citizens. It was destroyed in the first century by an eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius.

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Example Sentences

To mark his first anniversary in office on Friday, he will begin an extensive tour of Italy over the coming months with a visit to Pompeii and Naples.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

When Butyagin arrived in Poland late last year as part of a European lecture tour about ancient Pompeii, Polish authorities detained him at Ukraine’s request.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Nearly 2,000-year-old Pompeii victim comes alive, thanks to AI.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

In a similar spirit of upcycling, his exhibition shows Rose Salane’s newest project from Pompeii featuring rocks and other ephemera taken from the historic site.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

The effect was fashionable, post-nuclear but ancient, too, like some pumice-strewn courtyard from Pompeii.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt