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

"The Smyrnaeans have the river Meles, with its lovely water, and at its springs is the grotto, where they say Homer composed his poems," wrote the 2nd-century Greek chronicler and geographer Pausanias.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

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

From what she can tell, it’s a low grotto, maybe four yards long and half as wide, shaped like a loaf of bread.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Near an oasis in the Gobi Desert, the stupendous mural-covered grottoes capture centuries of Buddhist art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 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

Benedict’s tomb lies in the grottoes under the basilica’s main floor.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2023

The oracles all had special sacred places, caves or grottoes or specially built temples, and there were all sorts of far-out things connected with them like sacred fires and mystic vapors and magical statues.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

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

Elves, hired to usher children through grottos, typically earn less, but have seen a slight bump in average pay compared to last year.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 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

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

She spots flashes of The Taker in the dim grottos and murky hollows where the bears and the cougars might be.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• cavern