sarcophagus
noun
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Body-eating coffins might sound like something out of a horror film, but flesh-eating stone? The latter plays a role in the etymology of sarcophagus; it is the literal translation of líthos sarkóphagos, the Greek phrase that underlies the English term. The phrase traveled through Latin between Greek and English, taking on the form lapis sarcophagus before being shortened to sarcophagus. It's not clear whether the ancient Romans believed that a certain type of limestone from the region around Troy would dissolve flesh (and thus was desirable for making coffins); that assertion came from Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, but he also reported such phenomena as dog-headed people and elephants who wrote Greek. Regardless, there is no doubt that the ancient Greek word for the limestone traces back to a combination of sárx, meaning "flesh," and a derivative of phagein, a verb meaning "to eat."
Examples of sarcophagus in a Sentence
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Dec. 2025
The team had already excavated the other three corners of a narrow tomb occupied by an imposing, unnamed sarcophagus.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Solomon peppers his story with generational resentments and art-world posturing, while Soderbergh films the interiors of McKellen’s English townhouse like the inner workings of a sarcophagus.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Archaeologists recently uncovered a Roman sarcophagus, which shows a drinking contest between Dionysus and Hercules.
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Cite this Entry
“Sarcophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcophagus. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
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sarcophagus
noun
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