Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
catacombs
The term evokes a strong sense of antiquity, darkness, and often a macabre or eerie atmosphere. While it specifically refers to underground burial chambers—most famously those in Rome or Paris—it is frequently used in a broader sense to describe any sprawling, subterranean labyrinth of tunnels.
In a historical or archaeological context, the word is neutral and descriptive. However, in literature, film, and gaming (especially the fantasy or horror genres), "catacombs" carries a heavy connotation of danger, secrecy, and the supernatural. It differs from a "cave" in that catacombs are typically man-made or carved structures rather than natural geological formations.
When used metaphorically, it can refer to something hidden deep within a structure or a forgotten archive, suggesting a place where things are buried and lost to time.
Meanings
An underground cemetery consisting of a subterranean gallery with recesses for tombs.
Examples
The tourists descended into the Roman catacombs to see the ancient burial sites.
We should be careful not to get lost in these winding catacombs.
The city is built over a vast network of catacombs dating back centuries.
I can't believe we are actually walking through the catacombs of Paris.
The ghost is said to haunt the deepest levels of the catacombs.
Archaeologists discovered a hidden chamber within the catacombs.
The secret passage leads directly into the catacombs beneath the castle.
It is freezing and damp down here in the catacombs.