# tomb

/ˈtum/ (US) · /tˈuːm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tomb
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. burial structure

noun · CEFR B2

a stone building or underground room where a dead person is buried.

For teachers: a large vault, typically stone, for burying the dead; often refers to an above-ground monument or a formal chamber in a cemetery.

- The archaeologists carefully opened the ancient tomb to look for gold and pottery.
- The valley is famous for the elaborate tombs of ancient kings, which were carved directly into the limestone cliffs thousands of years ago.

### 2. a grave

noun · CEFR B2

any hole or pit in the ground where a body is placed.

For teachers: a place of burial; used broadly to describe any grave or pit used for depositing human remains.

- They discovered a simple tomb dating back to the Bronze Age.
- The excavation revealed a communal tomb containing the remains of several dozen villagers, suggesting a sudden and catastrophic event.

### 3. death

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a poetic way to talk about death.

For teachers: a metonym for death or the state of being dead.

- The old stories say the king's secrets followed him to the tomb.
- The poet reflects on how the glories of the world are eventually silenced by the cold embrace of the tomb.

### 4. to bury

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to place a body in a grave or vault.

For teachers: to serve as a place of burial for; to inter or enshrine a body.

- The fallen hero was tombed with great honour in the cathedral.
- The ancient chronicles describe how the emperor was tombed in a secret location to protect his remains from grave robbers.

## Examples

- The archaeologists discovered an ancient tomb hidden under the sand.
- Visitors must remain quiet when entering the royal tomb to show respect for the historical site.
- The discovery of the intact tomb provided researchers with an unprecedented glimpse into the funerary customs and social hierarchy of the lost civilization.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.