catacomb

English

The catacombs of Paris.

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”)).^[1]^[2] Some sources suggest Ancient Greek κύμβη (kúmbē, “drinking vessel”) as an alternative etymon, but the semantic link is unclear.^[3]

catacomb (plural catacombs)

(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.
Hypernym: cuniculus

Meronyms: crypt, ossuary

underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves

^ Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “tǔmba”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volumes 13: To–Tyrus, page 411
^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “catacomb”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ “catacomb, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.