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Hidden under the main floor of a great church is often a large room, often with a tomb as its centerpiece. Many major European churches were built over the remains of a saint—the Vatican's great St. Peter's Basilica is an example—and instead of having the coffin buried, it was often given its spacious room below ground level. In a large aboveground tomb, or mausoleum, there may be several small chambers for individual coffins, also called crypts; when the comic book Tales from the Crypt made its first appearance in 1950, it was this meaning that the authors were referring to.
Examples of crypt in a Sentence
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major is one of four major papal basilicas, but Pope Francis has broken with tradition in his request to be laid to rest there, rather than in one of the crypts of St Peter’s Basilica inside the Vatican City.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
Nearly 100 popes are entombed at the Vatican Grottoes, the crypts located beneath St. Peter's Basilica.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
The injuries represented in the crypt are diverse, as are the diseases, which include dental conditions, joint conditions, and syphilis.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Crypt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crypt. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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