sarcophagus
noun
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Body-eating coffins might sound like something out of a horror film, but flesh-eating stone? The latter plays a role in the etymology of sarcophagus; it is the literal translation of líthos sarkóphagos, the Greek phrase that underlies the English term. The phrase traveled through Latin between Greek and English, taking on the form lapis sarcophagus before being shortened to sarcophagus. It's not clear whether the ancient Romans believed that a certain type of limestone from the region around Troy would dissolve flesh (and thus was desirable for making coffins). That assertion came from Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, but he also reported such phenomena as dog-headed people and elephants who wrote Greek. Regardless, there is no doubt that the ancient Greek word for the limestone combined sárx, meaning "flesh," with a derivative of phagein, a verb meaning "to eat."
Examples of sarcophagus in a Sentence
Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023
Swirling sands wrapped the dead trees in a natural sarcophagus.
—Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sarcophagus 
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“Sarcophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcophagus. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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sarcophagus
noun
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