catacomb

noun

cat·​a·​comb ˈka-tə-ˌkōm 

1

: a subterranean cemetery of galleries with recesses for tombs

—usually used in plural

2

: something resembling a catacomb: such as

a

: an underground passageway or group of passageways

b

: a complex set of interrelated things

the endless catacombs of formal education

—Kingman Brewster †1988

Did you know?

About forty Christian catacombs have been found near the roads that once led into Rome. After the decline of the Roman empire these cemeteries were forgotten, not to be rediscovered until 1578. Catacomb has come to refer to different kinds of underground chambers and passageways. The catacombs of Paris are abandoned stone quarries that were not used for burials until 1787. The catacombs built by a monastery in Palermo, Sicily, for its deceased members later began accepting bodies from outside the monastery; today you may wander through looking at hundreds of mummified corpses propped against the catacomb walls, dressed in tattered clothes that were once fashionable.

Synonyms

• crypt
• vault

Examples of catacomb in a Sentence

explored the catacombs looking for evidence about burial customs of that ancient society

Recent Examples on the Web

One morning the four of us climbed the bell tower of the Monolithic church in Saint-Emilion, a medieval marvel, then descended, following a guide, into the subterranean nave and catacombs. —Jo Rodgers, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, the last viewers see of Pope and Sarah, they are trapped in the catacombs as floodwaters rush in from a brewing storm. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

TikTok is always warning me not to venture into the Paris catacombs without a guide, but the beginning of the Opening Ceremony sent precocious children to run down there unattended. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024

While Pope and Sarah desperately sought an escape, a violent storm hit and flooded the catacombs. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English catacumb, Middle French catacombe, probably from Old Italian catacomba, from Late Latin catacumbae, plural

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

catacomb

noun

cat·​a·​comb ˈkat-ə-ˌkōm 

: an underground place of burial

—usually used in plural