This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
catacomb
[ kat-uh-kohm ]
/ ˈkæt əˌkoʊm /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
Definition of catacomb
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.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of catacomb
First recorded before 900; Middle English catacombe, Old English catacumbe, from Late Latin catacumbās (accusative plural); of disputed origin; perhaps from unattested Greek katakýmbās, equivalent to kata- + kýmbās, accusative plural of kýmbē “hollow, cup”; see origin at cata-
OTHER WORDS FROM catacomb
cat·a·cum·bal [kat-uh-kuhm-buhl], /ˌkæt əˈkʌm bəl/, adjectiveWords nearby catacomb
cataclasis, cataclastic, cataclinal, cataclysm, cataclysmic, catacomb, catadioptric, catadromous, catafalque, catagenesis, Catalan
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use catacomb in a sentence
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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012