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

For centuries, The Courier Journal reported more than 100 years ago, their remains were kept in Roman catacombs alongside other martyrs who had been killed over their religious beliefs before being taken to a convent in Agnani, Italy, sometime around 1700. —Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024

Having dirtied himself in the catacombs beneath the papacy’s home, our scrappy archaeologist emerges into none other than a resplendent re-creation of the Sistine Chapel. —Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024

Archaeologists also worked on cleaning the underground tunnels of a Greco-Roman catacomb previously found at the site. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025

The building's basement was a 20,000-square-foot underground area, commonly known as the catacombs, that was used for things like storage, transport and drying meat. —Justin L. MacK, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025

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