crypt
[ kript ]
noun
a subterranean chamber or vault, especially one beneath the main floor of a church, used as a burial place, a location for secret meetings, etc.
Anatomy. a slender pit or recess; a small glandular cavity.
Origin of crypt
11375–1425 for sense “grotto”; 1555–65 for current senses; late Middle English cripte<Latin crypta<Greek kryptḗ hidden place, noun use of feminine of kryptós hidden, verbid of krýptein to hide; replacing earlier crypta<Latin, as above
Other words from crypt
- un·der·crypt, noun
Other definitions for crypt- (2 of 2)
crypt-
variant of crypto- before a vowel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for crypt
crypt
/ (krɪpt) /
noun
a cellar, vault, or underground chamber, esp beneath a church, where it is often used as a chapel, burial place, etc
anatomy any pitlike recess or depression
Origin of crypt
1C18: from Latin crypta, from Greek kruptē vault, secret place, from kruptos hidden, from kruptein to hide
Derived forms of crypt
- cryptal, adjective
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
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