What does "dungeon" mean?

1. (underground prison) a dark, cold prison cell located underground, usually beneath a castle. 2. (in gaming) a place in a game, like a cave or castle, where you fight enemies and find treasure. 3. (BDSM context) a room equipped for specific adult sexual activities. 4. (to imprison) to lock someone in an underground prison.

dungeon

n. · v.

US //ˈdəndʒən// UK //dˈʌndʒən// dun·geon

1 underground prison (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a dark, cold prison cell located underground, usually beneath a castle.

a subterranean cell or vault used for imprisonment, typically situated beneath a medieval castle or fortress.

Example

The knight was locked in a damp dungeon for three years before he escaped.

Example

Historical records suggest that the castle dungeon was rarely used for long-term prisoners, serving instead as a temporary holding cell during sieges.
2 in gaming (n.)
B1 Intermediate Informal Computing

a place in a game, like a cave or castle, where you fight enemies and find treasure.

a self-contained game environment, often subterranean, featuring combat encounters, puzzles, and rewards.

Example

Our team spent three hours exploring the dragon's dungeon to find the magic sword.

Example

The game designer balanced the dungeon by placing health potions before the final boss encounter to assist struggling players.

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3 BDSM context (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical

a room equipped for specific adult sexual activities.

a room or facility specifically equipped for sadomasochistic sexual practices.

Example

The club features a private dungeon for its members.

Example

The facility was professionally designed as a high-end dungeon, featuring custom-built equipment for various roleplay scenarios.
4 to imprison (v.)
C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic

to lock someone in an underground prison.

to confine or incarcerate an individual within a dungeon. Transitive use.

Example

The cruel king decided to dungeon his enemies forever.

Example

The tyrant sought to dungeon any citizen who dared to speak against the new tax laws.
- release
- free

Origin

From Middle English dongeoun (“keep of a castle; dungeon; abyss, cave, den; whirlpool”), from Anglo-Norman donjun (“keep of a castle; keep used as a prison; dungeon”) and continental Old French donjon (“keep of a castle”), from Vulgar Latin *dominiōnem, seemingly derived from Latin dominus (“master, lord”) perhaps via some figurative sense like “dominant building”. Doublet of donjon. The sense of “prison (associated with a castle)”, first attested in Anglo-Norman (13th c.) and apparently never in continental Old French, likely developed in combination with Old English dung (“underground prison cell”), whence Middle English donge (“pit, abyss”, senses that are also attested for Middle English dongeoun). The game term has been popularized by Dungeons & Dragons.