tomb

American  

[toom] / tum /

noun

• tombs
  plural

1. an excavation in earth or rock for the burial of a corpse; grave.

2. a mausoleum, burial chamber, or the like.

3. a monument for housing or commemorating a dead person.

4. any sepulchral structure.

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verb (used with object)

1. to place in or as if in a tomb; entomb; bury.

tomb British  

/ tuːm /

noun

1. a place, esp a vault beneath the ground, for the burial of a corpse

2. a stone or other monument to the dead

3. a poetic term for death

4. anything serving as a burial place

   the sea was his tomb

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verb

1. rare (tr) to place in a tomb; entomb

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tombal
  adjective
• tombless
  adjective
• tomblike
  adjective
• untombed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tombs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tomb

1225–75; Middle English tumbe < Anglo-French; Old French tombe < Late Latin tumba < Greek týmbos burial mound; akin to Latin tumēre to swell. See tumor, tumulus

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Explanation

A tomb is a place where a dead person is buried. Usually, a tomb is under a tombstone, which says the name of the person who died and when they lived. We're all going to die, and that means we're all going to end up in some type of tomb: a place where a corpse is buried. Over time, there have been many types of tombs, including the huge, ornate, elaborate tombs of the Egyptians. Other tombs are simpler, involving the simple burial of a box or the cremated remains.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tomb tombs

The attribution to Samuel is based on clues including the location of the tomb, the sumptuousness of the garment, the age of the deceased and an old fracture.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

One of the main research questions associated with our fieldwork focuses on the question of tomb placement and tomb reuse – for which the newly discovered tomb carries important scholarly significance.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Archeologists have dug up an ancient tomb that has largely been untouched for 600 years.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Pale stone walls and floors evoke the interior of an Egyptian tomb.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

“I am closing the tomb, so that the Un-Dead may not enter.”

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

He often talks about one of the earliest-known toys, miniature chariots in Egyptian tombs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Thousands of mourners lined the streets as the king's casket was transported to the royal tombs in Fort Portal where a private ceremony took place.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

This includes exquisitely decorated tombs that offer a unique glimpse into the daily lives, funerary beliefs, artistry and monuments of Egypt’s ordinary people and officials over many centuries.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

The apparent absence of weaponry or tombs, including for the civilization’s rulers, also remains a mystery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

In a very short time they had accumulated all sorts of fascinating facts about tombs and temples, pharaohs and pyramids, mummies and monoliths, and dozens of other exotic topics.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

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Related Words

• burial
• coffin
• mausoleum
• monument
• pit
• vault

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