souterrain

[ soo-tuh-reyn, soo-tuh-reyn ]

/ ˌsu təˈreɪn, ˈsu təˌreɪn /

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noun Chiefly Archaeology.

a subterranean passage or structure; grotto.

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Origin of souterrain

1725–35; <French: literally, underground, calque of Latin subterrāneus;see sous-sous, terrain

Words nearby souterrain

sous vide, soutache, soutane, soutenu, souter, souterrain, south, South Africa, South African, South African Dutch, South African tick-bite fever

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use souterrain in a sentence

In many cases we do find the entrance to a souterrain is in a fort.
Ulster Folklore|Elizabeth Andrews
It is a souterrain situated in Glenshesk, about three miles from Ballycastle.
Ulster Folklore|Elizabeth Andrews
It is a small fort, and on the top we saw the narrow entrance to the souterrain.
Ulster Folklore|Elizabeth Andrews
There is a fine souterrain, evidently connected with a rath, or encampment, in the graveyard.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 7|Various

My best thanks are also due to Mrs. Hobson for allowing me to make use of her photograph of the entrance to this souterrain.
Ulster Folklore|Elizabeth Andrews

British Dictionary definitions for souterrain

souterrain

/ (ˈsuːtəˌreɪn) /

noun

archaeol an underground chamber or passage

Word Origin for souterrain

C18: from French

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012