labyrinth

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Walking a labyrinth is a form of meditation and is even seen by some as a metaphor for the human experience.

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Definitions (17)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. noun An intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze.
  2. noun Greek Mythology The maze in which the Minotaur was confined.
  3. noun Something highly intricate or convoluted in character, composition, or construction: a labyrinth of rules and regulations.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (9)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • "It's called the labyrinth because when there's a party and it's dark and you're a little out of it, all the winding halls and bedrooms can be a bit confusing," says current resident and former Crimson Associate Business Manager Tyler W. Bosmeny '09. —  The Harvard Crimson :: News
  • Investigators believe the labyrinth was so complicated that Gordon Stewart, 74, may have become lost inside it.
  • The reason that bettas are so popular in very small tanks is that they are equipped with a lung-like gill adaptation, called a labyrinth organ, that enables them to breathe air. —  All Categories Featured Content - Associated Content
  • Sponsored by seven area congregations as a unique spiritual growth opportunity, the labyrinth is an ancient spiritual practice and a rich tool for pilgrimage and reflection.
  • Times for entering the labyrinth are Sunday, April 5 from 4 to 8: 30 p.m.,
 

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

maze ·  warren ·  jumble ·  vista ·  cavern ·  chasm ·  intricacy ·  tangle ·  expanse ·  panorama ·  abyss ·  grotto
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English laberinthe, from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek laburinthos; possibly akin to labrus, double-headed axe, of Lydian origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also labirinth, labrinth; = French labyrinthe = Spanish laberinto = Portuguese laberintho, labyrin tho = Italian labirinto, from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek λαβύρινθος, a structure having many intricate passages, a maze, prob. from λαύρα (also written, less properly, λάβρα), an alley, lane: see laura.
  2. from labyrinth, n.
 

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/ˈlæbɪrɪnθ/
by American Heritage

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