tomb

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: an excavation in which a corpse is buried : grave
b
: a place of interment
2
: a house, chamber, or vault for the dead
3
: a building or structure resembling a tomb (as in appearance)
tombless adjective

tomb

2 of 2

verb

tombed; tombing; tombs

Examples of tomb in a Sentence

Noun the tomb of Alexander the Great explored the historic graveyard and saw tombs that dated back two centuries Verb Forest Lawn is where many of Tinseltown's immortals are tombed for all eternity.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As recorded in all four Gospel accounts, when some of the women who’d followed Jesus to Calvary arrived at the tomb on Sunday morning, now recognized as Easter Sunday, to prepare the body for proper burial, the rock had been rolled away and the tomb was empty, according to Harvard University. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 According to the Ministry of Culture, excavation on the ninth tomb began in 2022 and is still ongoing. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 Blending gothic atmosphere and ghastly horror, the film is full of unforgettable images: The witch Aja (Steele) being tortured before she’s burned at the stake; an undead sorcerer digging himself out of his grave; Aja’s tomb exploding with the power of her rage. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 The tomb of one Queen Puabi — discovered in the Royal Cemetery of Ur in modern-day Iraq — is a striking example of the riches worn by ancient elites. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Unlike the tombs of most other ancient pharaohs, which had been raided by graverobbers, King Tut’s tomb was found intact and filled with more than 5,000 artifacts which were cleared and categorized over the next decade. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 In the vaults and individual tombs, experts identified rare jewelry and religious artifacts. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 El Torre also houses the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tok, one of the rulers of the city. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024 The fluffy treat vanishing from the bread symbolizes the way Jesus vanished from the tomb. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
Verb
In order to become proper Chinese third graders—to go all the way from Heaven to tomb—Natasha and Ariel needed to memorize a total of sixteen hundred characters. Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tomb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tombe, from Anglo-French tumbe, from Late Latin tumba sepulchral mound, from Greek tymbos; perhaps akin to Latin tumēre to be swollen — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tomb was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tomb

Cite this Entry

“Tomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomb. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tomb

noun
ˈtüm
1
2
: a house or burial chamber for dead people

More from Merriam-Webster on tomb

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