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

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.

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

Unicamerate, ū-ni-kam′e-rāt, adj. having one chamber or loculus, unilocular.

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

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

They then proceeded to the distribution of the loculi in equal lots, the loculi representing, as it were, the dividend of the company.

From Pagan and Christian Rome by Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo

The tomb contained one hundred and eighty loculi for cinerary urns, and each of the shareholders was consequently entitled to five.

From Pagan and Christian Rome by Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo

A short distance from the entrance, I came to a vestibule surrounded with loculi or rock-hewn graves.

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

The passages are lined with the usual loculi for the dead, sometimes adapted for a single body, sometimes for two laid together.

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

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