grotto

American  

[grot-oh] / ˈgrɒt oʊ /

noun

grottoes, plural grottos plural

1. a cave or cavern.

2. an artificial cavernlike recess or structure.

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grotto British  

/ ˈɡrɒtəʊ /

noun

1. a small cave, esp one with attractive features

2. a construction in the form of a cave, esp as in landscaped gardens during the 18th century

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• grottoed
  adjective
• grottolike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grottoes
  plural
• grottos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of grotto

1610–20; < Italian grotta < Vulgar Latin *crupta, for Latin crypta subterranean passage, chamber. See crypt

Explanation

A grotto is a small cave, the kind of place where you feel comfortable, cozy, and protected from the harsh realities outside. This word started in Greek (as the word that also gives us crypt), turned into Latin and then Italian, and finally landed in English in the 1600s as grotto. A grotto can be natural or manmade, but either way, it's a small cave or hidden room with cool and inviting features like a comfy floor or round walls. A grotto is a good place to read, write, or just hang out with friends, especially on a hot summer day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grotto grottoes grottos

JR, dubbed the "French Banksy" after the British street artist, has wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric painted white, grey and black to create the impression of a rocky grotto.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

Twenty years before Tatiana arrived, the tiger grotto was briefly repurposed to house two giant pandas, Yun-Yun and Ying-Xin, who passed through during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics before visiting again in 1985.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2025

The grotto was created from tons of lava rock by rock sculptor and artist Ryozo Fuso Kado.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2025

Children would build grottos from the shells and pester passers-by for pennies for their efforts, with cries of "Pray remember the grotto!"

From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2025

The cool waters of the creek came out of a dark, shadowy grotto of overhanging thicket, then flowed about thirty feet before they entered the large pond.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

But the settings—sailboats, grottoes, caves, lush gardens, elegant townhouses—couldn’t be lovelier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Rainwater leaks and rising humidity have damaged ancient cave paintings, including those in the famous Mogao grottoes, it said, and some caves have even collapsed.

From Reuters ● Jul. 17, 2023

The Afro Mermaid Summit — it's so incredibly important for Black and brown mermaids to be able to come together and have a safe space to swim in these beautiful grottoes.

From Salon ● May 28, 2023

After that, Benedict will be interred in the grottoes in the bowels of St. Peter’s, which holds the remains of 91 popes.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 2, 2023

Some of the most common are in this example: The heroes saved the cargoes oftomatoes andpotatoes from the mosquitoes and tornadoes by hiding them in grottoes.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

The area is located near caves and grottos, an environment similar to where Brazil's first known spider-parasitic mite species, Charletonia rocciai, was discovered.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 28, 2026

Children would build grottos from the shells and pester passers-by for pennies for their efforts, with cries of "Pray remember the grotto!"

From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2025

Many popes are buried in tombs in the grottos underneath St. Peter’s Basilica or in side chapels of the basilica itself, including all of Francis’ recent predecessors.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 13, 2023

It’s one of many such grottos in the region, says the study’s lead author, Laura Shackelford, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 13, 2023

He constructed elaborate fountains, with grottos containing mechanical singing birds.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• cavern