catacomb
[ kat-uh-kohm ]
/ ˈkæt əˌkoʊm /
noun
Usually catacombs. an underground cemetery, especially one consisting of tunnels and rooms with recesses dug out for coffins and tombs.
the Catacombs, the subterranean burial chambers of the early Christians in and near Rome, Italy.
an underground passageway, especially one full of twists and turns.
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Origin of catacomb
before 900; Middle English catacombe, Old English catacumbe < Late Latin catacumbās (accusative plural); of disputed orig.; perhaps < Greek *katakýmbās, equivalent to kata- cata- + kýmbās, accusative plural of kýmbē hollow, cup
OTHER WORDS FROM catacomb
cat·a·cum·bal [kat-uh-kuhm-buh l] /ˌkæt əˈkʌm bəl/, adjectiveWords nearby catacomb
cataclasis, cataclastic, cataclinal, cataclysm, cataclysmic, catacomb, catacrotism, catadicrotism, catadioptric, catadromous, catafalque
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for catacomb
British Dictionary definitions for catacomb
catacomb
/ (ˈkætəˌkəʊm, -ˌkuːm) /
noun
(usually plural) an underground burial place, esp the galleries at Rome, consisting of tunnels with vaults or niches leading off them for tombs
a series of interconnected underground tunnels or caves
Word Origin for catacomb
Old English catacumbe, from Late Latin catacumbas (singular), name of the cemetery under the Basilica of St Sebastian, near Rome; origin unknown
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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