catacomb
English
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catacomb
- /ˈkætəkuːm/ UK
- /ˈkætəkəʊm/ UK
- /ˈkætəkoʊm/ US
- /ˈkætəkum/ US
Where it comes from
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.
noun catacombs
- 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
Translations
Talk about this word "catacomb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/catacomb. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. catacomb. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/catacomb "catacomb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/catacomb.Cite this
@misc{catacomb_2026,
title = {catacomb},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/catacomb},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
