NYT Dictionary

TOMB

/tum/
NounVerbTOOMGrade 9

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Meaning

A small building, or a room within one, 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.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

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”). Displaced native Old English þrūh. The verb is from Middle English tomben.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

burial chambersepulchrevaultgravearchbarrowbrassburialburstbury

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles:

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