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bony labyrinth

noun Anatomy.

See under labyrinth(def 6a).

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Nearby words

  1. bonxie,
  2. bony,
  3. bony ankylosis,
  4. bony bream,
  5. bony fish,
  6. bony palate,
  7. bonynge,
  8. bonytail,
  9. bonze,
  10. bonzer

Definition for bony labyrinth (2 of 2)

labyrinth

[ lab-uh-rinth ]
/ ˈlæb ə rɪnθ /

noun

Origin of labyrinth

1540–50; < Latin labyrinthus < Greek labýrinthos; replacing earlier laborynt < Medieval Latin laborintus, Latin, as above
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for bony labyrinth (1 of 2)

Labyrinth

/ (ˈlæbərɪnθ) /

noun

Greek myth a huge maze constructed for King Minos in Crete by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur

British Dictionary definitions for bony labyrinth (2 of 2)

labyrinth

/ (ˈlæbərɪnθ) /

noun

a mazelike network of tunnels, chambers, or paths, either natural or man-madeCompare maze (def. 1)
any complex or confusing system of streets, passages, etc
a complex or intricate situation
  1. any system of interconnecting cavities, esp those comprising the internal ear
  2. another name for internal ear
electronics an enclosure behind a high-performance loudspeaker, consisting of a series of air chambers designed to absorb unwanted sound waves

Word Origin for labyrinth

C16: via Latin from Greek laburinthos, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bony labyrinth

labyrinth

n.

c.1400, laberynthe (late 14c. in Latinate form laborintus) "labyrinth, maze," figuratively "bewildering arguments," from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek labyrinthos "maze, large building with intricate passages," especially the structure built by Daedelus to hold the Minotaur near Knossos in Crete, from a pre-Greek language; perhaps related to Lydian labrys "double-edged axe," symbol of royal power, which fits with the theory that the labyrinth was originally the royal Minoan palace on Crete and meant "palace of the double-axe." Used in English for "maze" early 15c., and in figurative sense of "confusing state of affairs" (1540s).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for bony labyrinth (1 of 2)

labyrinth

[ lăb′ə-rĭnth′ ]

n.

A group of complex interconnecting anatomical cavities.
inner ear

Medicine definitions for bony labyrinth (2 of 2)

bony labyrinth

n.

osseous labyrinth
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for bony labyrinth

labyrinth

[ lăb′ə-rĭnth′ ]

The system of interconnecting canals and spaces that make up the inner ear of many vertebrates. The labyrinth has both a bony component, made up of the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the vestibule, and a membranous one.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for bony labyrinth

Labyrinth

In classical mythology, a vast maze on the island of Crete. The great inventor Daedalus designed it, and the king of Crete kept the Minotaur in it. Very few people ever escaped from the Labyrinth. One was Theseus, the killer of the Minotaur.

Note

A labyrinth can be literally a maze or figuratively any highly intricate construction or problem.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.