Definitions for labyrinth
ˈlæb ə rɪnθlabyrinth

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. maze, labyrinthnoun

   complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

2. inner ear, internal ear, labyrinthnoun

   a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. labyrinthnoun

   A maze, especially underground or covered.

2. labyrinthnoun

   Part of the inner ear.

3. labyrinthnoun

   Anything complicated and confusing, like a maze.

4. labyrinthverb

   To enclose in a labyrinth, or as though in a labyrinth.

5. labyrinthverb

   To arrange in the form of a labyrinth.

6. Etymology: From labyrinthus, from λαβύρινθος (labýrinthos) 'maze', possibly from an Anatolian language (compare Lydian labrys 'double-edged axe' and -inthos typical of Anatolian placenames), although the actual etymology of labyrinth is still a matter of conjecture.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Labyrinthnoun

   A maze; a place formed with inextricable windings.

   Etymology: labyrinthus, Latin.

   Suffolk, stay;
   Thou may’st not wander in that labyrinth;
   There Minotaurs, and ugly treasons lurk. William Shakespeare.

   Words, which would tear
   The tender labyrinth of a maid’s soft ear. John Donne.

   My clamours tear
   The ear’s soft labyrinth, and cleft the air. George Sandys, Paraph.

   The earl of Essex had not proceeded with his accustomed wariness and skill; but run into labyrinths, from whence he could not disentangle himself. Edward Hyde, b. viii.

   My soul is on her journey; do not now
   Divert, or lead her back, to lose herself
   I’ th’ maze and winding labyrinths o’ th’ world. John Denham.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Labyrinthnoun

   an edifice or place full of intricate passageways which render it difficult to find the way from the interior to the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan labyrinths

2. Labyrinthnoun

   any intricate or involved inclosure; especially, an ornamental maze or inclosure in a park or garden

3. Labyrinthnoun

   any object or arrangement of an intricate or involved form, or having a very complicated nature

4. Labyrinthnoun

   an inextricable or bewildering difficulty

5. Labyrinthnoun

   the internal ear. See Note under Ear

6. Labyrinthnoun

   a series of canals through which a stream of water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a metal

7. Labyrinthnoun

   a pattern or design representing a maze, -- often inlaid in the tiled floor of a church, etc

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Labyrinth

   In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a mythical creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it. Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a skein of thread, literally the "clew", or "clue", so he could find his way out again. In colloquial English, labyrinth is generally synonymous with maze, but many contemporary scholars observe a distinction between the two: maze refers to a complex branching puzzle with choices of path and direction; while a single-path labyrinth has only a single, non-branching path, which leads to the center. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate. Although early Cretan coins occasionally exhibit multicursal patterns, the unicursal seven-course "Classical" design became associated with the Labyrinth on coins as early as 430 BC, and became widely used to represent the Labyrinth – even though both logic and literary descriptions make it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a complex branching maze. Even as the designs became more elaborate, visual depictions of the Labyrinth from Roman times until the Renaissance are almost invariably unicursal. Branching mazes were reintroduced only when garden mazes became popular during the Renaissance.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Labyrinth

   lab′i-rinth, n. a place full of inextricable windings: (orig.) a building consisting of halls connected by intricate passages: an arrangement of tortuous passages in which it is difficult to find the way out: an inexplicable difficulty, a perplexity: (anat.) the cavities of the internal ear.—adjs. Labyrinth′al, Labyrinth′ian, Labyrinth′ine, pertaining to or like a labyrinth: winding: intricate: perplexing; Labyrinth′iform, having the form of a labyrinth: intricate.—n. Labyrinth′odon, a race of extinct gigantic amphibians found in the Permian, Carboniferous, and Triassic strata, so called from the mazy pattern exhibited on a transverse section of the teeth of some genera. [Fr. labyrinthe—L. labyrinthus—Gr. labyrinthos; akin to laura, a passage.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Labyrinth

   a name given to sundry structures composed of winding passages so intricate as to render it difficult to find the way out, and sometimes in. Of these structures the most remarkable were those of Egypt and of Crete. The Egyptian to the E. of Lake Moeris, consisted of an endless number of dark chambers, connected by a maze of passages into which it was difficult to find entrance; and the Cretan, built by Dædalus, at the instance of Minos, to imprison the Minotaur, out of which one who entered could not find his way out again unless by means of a skein of thread. It was by means of this, provided him by Ariadne, Perseus (q. v.) found his way out after slaying the Minotaur (q. v.).

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Labyrinth

   In the Ellim Mythos, The Labyrinth was a complex superstructure built by the original worshippers of The Ochre before the Ellim came into the scene. This structure was built over the course of millennia. The Labyrinth was originally imbued with a magic power that allowed its layout to change and prevented any outsiders unworthy from entering the Sanctums. After the Ellim arrived and the ancient worshippers of The Ochre ceased to exist, the knowledge of such power was lost to the void. Since then, The Kruvim have been gifted with the responsibility of guarding the Sanctums from outsiders. The Ochre gifted all members of The Kruvim the ability to shift their appearance to that of a beast of incredible prowess to assist in their duties. The leader of The Kruvim at that time was gifted immortality and given the form of a Minotaur to train Kruvim and guard The Ochre eternally. It is unclear whether the labyrinth mentioned in the Ellim Mythos is at all related to the Ancient Greek tale of a similar structure.

   Passage through the Labyrinth became a pilgrimage for the more devout. It was said that only those holy and worthy would be able to transcend beyond its endless bends.

   Etymology: Derived from the Greek word "laburinthos."

   
   

   Submitted by talonalexander2 on January 25, 2021  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. labyrinth

   The labyrinth symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the labyrinth symbol and its characteristic.

2. labyrinth

   Song lyrics by labyrinth -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by labyrinth on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to pronounce labyrinth?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Veena

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   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say labyrinth in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of labyrinth in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of labyrinth in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of labyrinth in a Sentence

1. Marcel Marceau:

   I have designed my style pantomimes as white ink drawings on black backgrounds, so that man's destiny appears as a thread lost in an endless labyrinth.

2. Jon Rappoport:

   There is an irreducible thing. It's called freedom. It is native to every individual. Sometimes it rears its head in the middle of the night, and the dreamer awakes. And he asks himself: what is my freedom for? And then he begins a voyage that no device can record, measure, or analyze. If he pursues it long enough, it takes him out of the labyrinth.

3. City Council President Luis Aponte:

   Property owners were getting complaints from their tenants that as they entered the building they had to pass through this labyrinth of smoke.

4. James Scott:

   The weaponized meme, when properly introduced and reinforced, will parasitically weave its way throughout the labyrinth of the mind and attach itself to the subconscious, thus effecting the root of the thought of the recipient.

5. Erik Pevernagie:

   The brain absorbs all the phenomena of our daily life, constructs a maze of countless corridors that run through our mind and opens numerous unconscious wishes and subdued desires, which are processed in the labyrinths of our subconscious. ( " Labyrinth of the mind " )

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