labyrinth
an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit.
a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out.
a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings.
any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex: His papers were lost in an hellish bureaucratic labyrinth.After the death of her daughter, she wandered in a labyrinth of sorrow for what seemed like a decade.
(initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. a vast maze built in Crete by Daedalus, at the command of King Minos, to house the Minotaur.
Anatomy.
the internal ear, consisting of a bony portion (bony labyrinth ) and a membranous portion (membranous labyrinth ).
the aggregate of air chambers in the ethmoid bone, between the eye and the upper part of the nose.
a mazelike pattern inlaid in the pavement of a church.
Also called acoustic labyrinth, acoustical labyrinth .Audio. a loudspeaker enclosure with air chambers at the rear for absorbing sound waves radiating in one direction so as to prevent their interference with waves radiated in another direction.
Origin of labyrinth
1Other words for labyrinth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use labyrinth in a sentence
Would not their minds be better satisfied in discovering truth than in wandering in the labyrinths of darkness?
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean MeslierAt times, they would pass some black cavernous entrance to unknown labyrinths, and the frightened thoughts would hurry by.
The Daughters of Danaus | Mona CairdEach step, which seems to bring the explorer of nature nearer to his object, only carries him to the threshold of new labyrinths.
Decline of Science in England | Charles BabbageTo attempt to read their disquisitions is like walking in labyrinths of ever-opening intricacies.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V | John LordDuring the day the white glare drove the guests of the garden festivals into the shadiest recesses of the cypress labyrinths.
Romance of Roman Villas | Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) Champney
British Dictionary definitions for labyrinth (1 of 2)
/ (ˈlæbərɪnθ) /
a mazelike network of tunnels, chambers, or paths, either natural or man-made: Compare maze (def. 1)
any complex or confusing system of streets, passages, etc
a complex or intricate situation
any system of interconnecting cavities, esp those comprising the internal ear
another name for internal ear
electronics an enclosure behind a high-performance loudspeaker, consisting of a series of air chambers designed to absorb unwanted sound waves
Origin of labyrinth
1British Dictionary definitions for Labyrinth (2 of 2)
/ (ˈlæbərɪnθ) /
Greek myth a huge maze constructed for King Minos in Crete by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for labyrinth
[ lăb′ə-rĭnth′ ]
The system of interconnecting canals and spaces that make up the inner ear of many vertebrates. The labyrinth has both a bony component, made up of the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the vestibule, and a membranous one.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for Labyrinth
In classical mythology, a vast maze on the island of Crete. The great inventor Daedalus designed it, and the king of Crete kept the Minotaur in it. Very few people ever escaped from the Labyrinth. One was Theseus, the killer of the Minotaur.
Notes for Labyrinth
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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