catacomb

American  

[kat-uh-kohm] / ˈkæt əˌkoʊm /

noun

1. Usually catacombs. an underground cemetery, especially one consisting of tunnels and rooms with recesses dug out for coffins and tombs.

2. the Catacombs, the subterranean burial chambers of the early Christians in and near Rome, Italy.

3. an underground passageway, especially one full of twists and turns.

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catacomb British  

/ -ˌkuːm, ˈkætəˌkəʊm /

noun

1. (usually plural) an underground burial place, esp the galleries at Rome, consisting of tunnels with vaults or niches leading off them for tombs

2. a series of interconnected underground tunnels or caves

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Other Word Forms

• catacumbal adjective

Etymology

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”; cata-

Explanation

Use the noun catacomb to talk about an old underground cemetery. The most famous catacombs were built by the ancient Romans. You're most likely to come across this word in its plural form, catacombs, and it's almost always used in the context of the ancient Roman empire. A catacomb is shaped like a long tunnel, with space for bodies to be buried, often in tombs. The root word is the Late Latin catacumbae, which refers to one specific catacomb under the Appian Way in ancient Rome, in which the Biblical apostles Peter and Paul are said to be buried.

Example Sentences

Stewart questioned: "Is there no one who can offer a more nuanced analysis of our newly formulated position in this conflict, preferably in some type of catacomb or echoey tunnel?"

From Salon • May 10, 2024

And so Raphael ditches the pastel conformity of mainstream Communist society for a secretive chop-socking Orthodox monastery where black-frocked monks fling pelmeni like throwing stars and make we’re-not-worthy genuflections in a catacomb of skulls.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024

The offer was appealing enough to entice a wine connoisseur down to a dank, dungeonlike catacomb — despite his terrible hacking cough — to sample it.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2023

In the realm of that dark catacomb, the craziest schemes might be mistaken for master strokes.

From Slate • May 4, 2023

Sing Sing at night felt like a catacomb.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover