tomb

American  

[toom] / tum /

noun

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

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

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

Example Sentences

He hopes to see the mosque, which houses the tomb of a Sufi sheikh, host a traditional music festival when the renovation is complete, "in five months".

From Barron's

And I remember my sweet cousin who died at war and never returned, Tía Zimbul’s poor son without a tomb.

From Literature

"And they had to tell me," she said, staring at the cement tomb where mourners had spelled out Saul's name in yellow, blue, and white flower petals.

From Barron's

And Speed cut short a rare solemn moment in Addis Ababa when he was visiting the tomb of the Emperor Haile Selassie - because of the internet connection lagging.

From BBC

But many centuries later, King Tut’s tomb was discovered by the British archaeologist Howard Carter in this astonishing story as recounted by H.V.F.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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