tomb
Americannoun
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an excavation in earth or rock for the burial of a corpse; grave.
-
a mausoleum, burial chamber, or the like.
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a monument for housing or commemorating a dead person.
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any sepulchral structure.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a place, esp a vault beneath the ground, for the burial of a corpse
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a stone or other monument to the dead
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a poetic term for death
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anything serving as a burial place
the sea was his tomb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tomb
1225–75; Middle English tumbe < Anglo-French; Old French tombe < Late Latin tumba < Greek týmbos burial mound; akin to Latin tumēre to swell. See tumor, tumulus
Explanation
A tomb is a place where a dead person is buried. Usually, a tomb is under a tombstone, which says the name of the person who died and when they lived. We're all going to die, and that means we're all going to end up in some type of tomb: a place where a corpse is buried. Over time, there have been many types of tombs, including the huge, ornate, elaborate tombs of the Egyptians. Other tombs are simpler, involving the simple burial of a box or the cremated remains.
Vocabulary lists containing tomb
Ancient Egypt - Introductory
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"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury
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Words Whose Pronunciation Has Changed Over Time
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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.
Following the ceremony in Red Square, Putin laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier alongside other leaders, before attending a reception at the Kremlin.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Charles and Camilla then visited Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the hilltop Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honoring America's unidentified war dead.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
The actress, who is also set to star as Lara Croft in a new Tomb Raider series, is perhaps more familiar to fans dressed in the ancient robes she donned when playing Sansa Stark.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
President Donald Trump marked Veterans Day with a high-profile ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier alongside Vice President J. D.
From Salon • Nov. 11, 2025
In a matter of hours, the connection to the Tomb of Horrors D&D module was posted to every single gunter message board.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
