catacomb en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkætəkəʊm/ (UK) less often
- (US) audio
- /ˈkætəkuːm/ (UK)
- /ˈkætəkum/ (US) less often
- /ˈkætəkoʊm/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle English catacombe, from Old English catacumbe, catacumbas pl, from Late Latin catacumbae pl, name of the underground cemetery of St. Sebastian in Rome, of unclear origin. Perhaps a dissimilation (influenced by *cumbō (“to lie, recline”)) of Late Latin cata tumbās (literally “among the tombs”) (from Ancient Greek κατά (katá, “under”) and τύμβος (túmbos, “tomb”)). Some sources suggest Ancient Greek κύμβη (kúmbē, “drinking vessel”) as an alternative etymon, but the semantic link is unclear.
Meanings
-
(often, plural) An underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves, used (in former times) as a cemetery; a tunnel system used for burying the dead, as in Paris or Ancient Rome.
Meronyms: crypt, ossuary
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| catacombs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Relateds
Translations (30)
pl katakumb (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · sh katakombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · tl katakumbas (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · hu katakomba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · eu katakonba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · ca catacumba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · id katakombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · gl catacumba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · pl katakumba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · pl katakumby (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · cmn 地下墓穴 (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · cs katakomby (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · ro catacombă (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · fi katakombi (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · nl catacombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · eo katakombo (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · el κατακόμβη (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · ru катако́мба (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · et katakomb (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · it catacomba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · ja カタコンベ (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · es catacumba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · fr catacombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · de Katakombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · da katakombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · id katakomba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · sv katakomb (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · no katakombe (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · cmn 千人塚 /千人冢 (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves) · pt catacumba (underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves)