See also: Tomb and tömb

English

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Etymology

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Governor John R. Tanner's tomb

From Middle English tombe, toumbe, borrowed from Old French tombe, from Latin tumba from Ancient Greek τύμβος (túmbos, a sepulchral mound, tomb, grave), probably from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (to swell).

The verb is from Middle English tomben.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /tuːm/
  • (US) IPA(key): /tum/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːm

Noun

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tomb (plural tombs)

  1. A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed.
  2. A pit in which the dead body of a human being is deposited; a grave.
  3. One who keeps secrets.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Irish: tuama
  • Maori: toma

Translations

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Verb

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tomb (third-person singular simple present tombs, present participle tombing, simple past and past participle tombed)

  1. (transitive) To bury.

Catalan

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Etymology

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Deverbal from tombar.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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tomb m (plural tombs)

  1. turn (change of direction)
  2. turn, twist (movement around an axis)
  3. turn (change of temperament or circumstance)
  4. walk, stroll

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Middle English

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Noun

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tomb (plural tombes)

  1. Alternative form of tombe (tomb)