grotto
Americannoun
plural
grottoes, grottos-
a cave or cavern.
-
an artificial cavernlike recess or structure.
noun
-
a small cave, esp one with attractive features
-
a construction in the form of a cave, esp as in landscaped gardens during the 18th century
Other Word Forms
- grottoed adjective
- grottolike adjective
Etymology
Origin of grotto
1610–20; < Italian grotta < Vulgar Latin *crupta, for Latin crypta subterranean passage, chamber. See crypt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Nativity play nerves, Santa's grotto queues and Christmas lights crowds can make the festive season a sensory overload for children even before the big day arrives.
From BBC
Miss Mortimer leaned forward and lowered her voice, though they were the only diners in this hidden grotto.
From Literature
They lived in the tiger grotto and were fed at the Art Deco-style Lion House, built for the original Fleishhacker Zoo by the Works Progress Administration.
From Los Angeles Times
At the side of the playground, there was a square of lawn, with a grotto – a small shrine centred on a statue of Mary.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
