- (usually plural) an underground burial place, esp the galleries at Rome, consisting of tunnels with vaults or niches leading off them for tombs
- a series of interconnected underground tunnels or caves
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cat•a•comb /ˈkætəˌkoʊm/USA pronunciation
n. [countable* usually plural]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an underground burial place made up of tunnels and rooms:the famous catacombs near Rome, Italy.
cat•a•comb
(kat′ə kōm′),USA pronunciation n.
cat•a•cum•bal
(kat′ə kum′bəl),USA pronunciation adj.
- Usually, catacombs. an underground cemetery, esp. one consisting of tunnels and rooms with recesses dug out for coffins and tombs.
- Religion the Catacombs, the subterranean burial chambers of the early Christians in and near Rome, Italy.
- an underground passageway, esp. one full of twists and turns.
- Greek *katakýmbās, equivalent. to kata- cata- + kýmbās, accusative plural of kýmbē hollow, cup
- Late Latin catacumbās (accusative plural); of disputed origin, originally; perh.
- bef. 900; Middle English catacombe, Old English catacumbe
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
catacomb /ˈkætəˌkəʊm; -ˌkuːm/ n
'catacomb' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):