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

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

Yes, Pope and Sarah do end part one trapped in a catacomb in Charleston that is rapidly filling with water. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

Many parts of the French capital were transformed into sporting venues overnight, but one iconic venue far away from the action was the catacombs that sit directly under the ground. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2024

Pope and Sarah go into catacombs beneath an old church in search of the treasure, but are forced to hide among the rats when Lightner (Rigo Sanchez) and his boss Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh) show up and grab a mysterious scroll that is most likely a map. —Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 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