crypt

¹

[kript]

noun

1. a subterranean chamber or vault, especially one beneath the main floor of a church, used as a burial place, a location for secret meetings, etc.

2. Anatomy.,  a slender pit or recess; a small glandular cavity.

crypt-

²

1. variant of crypto- before a vowel.

crypt

/ krɪpt /

noun

1. a cellar, vault, or underground chamber, esp beneath a church, where it is often used as a chapel, burial place, etc

2. anatomy any pitlike recess or depression

Other Word Forms

• undercrypt noun
• cryptal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crypt¹

1375–1425 for sense “grotto”; 1555–65 for current senses; late Middle English cripte < Latin crypta < Greek kryptḗ hidden place, noun use of feminine of kryptós hidden, verbid of krýptein to hide; replacing earlier crypta < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of crypt¹

C18: from Latin crypta, from Greek kruptē vault, secret place, from kruptos hidden, from kruptein to hide

Example Sentences

An ancient box tomb thought to be built in the 1700s has collapsed in a church cemetery, exposing a large underground crypt.

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During the Spanish Civil War, Catalan anarchists set fire to the crypt, destroying plans and plaster models created by Gaudí that would guide future construction.

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Coffins, a crypt and a creepy statue of a young girl are what greets us.

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An Anglican church in Dublin has been unable to reopen a historic crypt to the public since the remains of mummified bodies were damaged in an arson attack.

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Her protest work has made her a fugitive of the Chinese state, a detail not lost on me as we meet one icy morning in the café in the crypt of Westminster Abbey.

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When To Use

What does crypt- mean?

Crypto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hidden, secret.” It is used in many scientific, medical, and other technical terms.Crypto- comes from the Greek kryptós, meaning “hidden.” The word crypt also derives from this root. Dig up the connection at our entry for the word.In anatomy, crypto- specifically refers to a crypt in its specialized sense of a “slender pit or recess” or a “small glandular cavity.”Crypt- is a variant of crypto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use crypto- article.