sarcophagus

noun

sar·​coph·​a·​gus sär-ˈkä-fə-gəs How to pronounce sarcophagus (audio)
plural sarcophagi sär-ˈkä-fə-ˌgī How to pronounce sarcophagus (audio)
-ˌjī,
-ˌgē
also sarcophaguses
: a stone coffin
broadly : coffin

Did you know?

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 combined sárx, meaning "flesh," with a derivative of phagein, a verb meaning "to eat."

Examples of sarcophagus in a Sentence

the crypt under the abbey church contains the sarcophagus of the monastery's founding abbot
Recent Examples on the Web The committee opted for Maggi Hambling’s bust of Wilde, which emerges from a bench-like granite sarcophagus inscribed with a quote from the writer’s play, Lady Windermere’s Fan. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2024 Last year, an ancient wooden sarcophagus at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences was returned to Egypt after U.S. authorities deemed it was stolen. Charlene Gubash, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2024 Giza Museum’s showstoppers will include King Tut’s golden sarcophagus and a 3,200-year-old sculpture of pharaoh Rameses II, which will hold court near the museum’s main staircase. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2024 Related article The original occupant of an Egyptian sarcophagus was unknown. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sarcophagus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sarcophagus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, after lapis sarcophagus "kind of stone with caustic properties used for coffins," partial translation of Greek líthos sarkóphagos, literally, "flesh-eating stone"; sarkóphagos from sarko- sarco- + -phagos -phagous

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sarcophagus was in 1619

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near sarcophagus

Cite this Entry

“Sarcophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcophagus. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sarcophagus

noun
sar·​coph·​a·​gus sär-ˈkäf-ə-gəs How to pronounce sarcophagus (audio)
plural sarcophagi -ˌgī How to pronounce sarcophagus (audio)
-ˌjī,
-ˌgē
also sarcophaguses
: a stone coffin

More from Merriam-Webster on sarcophagus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!