catacomb
Plural: catacombs
Noun
- An underground cemetery, typically with tunnels and recesses.
- an underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried (as in ancient Rome)
- 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.
Examples
- His Scrabble tray felt like a CATACOMB of forgotten letters, waiting for revival.
Origin / 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.
Scrabble Score: 16
catacomb: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordcatacomb: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
catacomb: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 20
catacomb: valid Words With Friends Word