[lab-uh-rinth] 
| 1. | an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. |
| 2. | 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. |
| 3. | a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings. |
| 4. | any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex. |
| 5. | (initial capital letter ) Classical Mythology. a vast maze built in Crete by Daedalus, at the command of King Minos, to house the Minotaur. |
| 6. | Anatomy.
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| 7. | a mazelike pattern inlaid in the pavement of a church. |
| 8. | 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. |
| membranous labyrinth n. The fluid-filled membranous sacs of the inner ear that are associated with the senses of hearing and balance. |
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.
Note: A labyrinth can be literally a maze or figuratively any highly intricate construction or problem.
labyrinth lab·y·rinth (lāb'ə-rĭnth')
n.
A group of complex interconnecting anatomical cavities.
See inner ear.
membranous labyrinth n.
The group of fluid-filled membranous sacs of the inner ear that are associated with the senses of hearing and balance.
| labyrinth (lāb'ə-rĭnth') Pronunciation Key
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. |