labyrinth
pronunciation
How to pronounce labyrinth in British English:
UK [ˈlæbərɪnθ]
How to pronounce labyrinth in American English:
US [ˈlæbərɪnθ]
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- Noun:
- complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
- a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium
Word Origin
- labyrinth (n.)
- c. 1400, laberynthe (late 14c. in Latinate form laborintus) "labyrinth, maze," figuratively "bewildering arguments," from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek labyrinthos "maze, large building with intricate passages," especially the structure built by Daedelus to hold the Minotaur near Knossos in Crete, from a pre-Greek language; perhaps related to Lydian labrys "double-edged axe," symbol of royal power, which fits with the theory that the labyrinth was originally the royal Minoan palace on Crete and meant "palace of the double-axe." Used in English for "maze" early 15c., and in figurative sense of "confusing state of affairs" (1540s).
Example
- 1. Greece is still searching for a way out of its labyrinth .
- 2. You must solve the labyrinth in order to open the lock .
- 3. The labyrinth of european politics makes the situation even harder to understand than the debt crisis of 2008 .
- 4. If you have ever wondered what the little metal ball in a wooden labyrinth feels like , drive through rural west virginia .
- 5. The morgan stanley trading room was a massive labyrinth that occupied the entire floor of 1251 avenue of the americas .