serdab

American  

[ser-dahb] / sərˈdɑb /

noun

1. a chamber inside a mastaba containing a statue of the deceased.

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serdab British  

/ ˈsɜːdæb, səˈdæb /

noun

1. a secret chamber in an ancient Egyptian tomb

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Etymology

Origin of serdab

1835–45; < Arabic sirdāb underground chamber < Persian sardāb cellar for ice, equivalent to sard cold + āb water

Example Sentences

The man's real name, if he was the owner of the mastaba from whose serdab he was taken, was Ra-em-ka.

From A History of Greek Art by Tarbell, Frank Bigelow

The hiding of the lamps in the serdab, and the institution of the avenging 'treasurer' shows that there was defence, positive as well as negative.

From The Jewel of Seven Stars by Stoker, Bram

The stone which had marked the front of the serdab, and which lay back against the wall within, moved slightly.

From The Jewel of Seven Stars by Stoker, Bram

The serdab, therefore, was transformed, and combined with the stela of the ancient mastabas.

From Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt by Maspero, G. (Gaston)

The objects placed in the serdab, in the passages, and in the sepulchral chamber, have suffered less from the ravages of time and the hand of man.

From Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt by Maspero, G. (Gaston)