loculus

American  

[lok-yuh-luhs] / ˈlɒk jə ləs /

noun

loculi plural

1. Biology. locule.

2. Ecclesiastical. a compartment in an altar, in which relics are kept.

3. a recess in an ancient catacomb or tomb, where a body or cinerary urn was placed.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interloculus
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• loculi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of loculus

1855–60; < New Latin, special use of Latin loculus, diminutive of locus place; see locus, -ule

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

loculus loculi

Interment in the wall-recess or loculus, though infinitely the most common, was not the only mode employed in the catacombs.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various

Unilocular, ū-ni-lok′ū-lar, adj. having but one loculus or cavity, as the heart of an amphioxus.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

The symbol of a foot was carved on the marble slab that closed the loculus or tomb, to indicate that it was the purchased property of the person who reposed in it.

From Roman Mosaics Or, Studies in Rome and Its Neighbourhood by Macmillan, Hugh

An ordinary grave was called locus or loculus, if it contained a single body; or bisomum, trisomum, or quadrisomum, if it contained two, three, or four.

From Walks in Rome by Hare, Augustus J. C.

Doric, the only sign of ornamentation found inside the tombs; a small break in the south-western wall connects it with the northernmost loculus of No. 2.

From The Land of Midian — Volume 1 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Frequently the walls are pitted with the loculi of a columbarium, which, however, appear to be too small to receive cinerary urns and must be intended for some other purpose.

From How to Observe in Archaeology by Various

Several of the horizontal loculi contained the bones of men and beasts: I did not disturb them, as all appeared to be modern.

From The Land of Midian — Volume 1 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

The ovary is partially adherent, is surmounted by a style, and has two or three loculi with an axile placenta, to which several small curved ovules are attached.

From Vegetable Teratology An Account of the Principal Deviations from the Usual Construction of Plants by Masters, Maxwell T.

The seeds are immersed in pulp, and are attached irregularly to the wall, base and centre of the loculi.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

These loculi were usually constructed for a single body only.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various