Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ



Sep 16, 2011
This week's theme
Words made with combining forms

This week's words
iridescent
heterodox
kleptocracy
polymath
necropolis

Necropolis of Pahlavan-Mahmud, Uzbekistan
Necropolis of Pahlavan-Mahmud, Uzbekistan

This week's comments
AWADmail 481

Next week's theme
vade mecum
Discuss
Feedback
RSS/XML
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

necropolis

PRONUNCIATION:
(ne-KROP-uh-lis)

MEANING:
noun: A burial place, especially a large and elaborate cemetery belonging to an ancient city.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek necro- (dead) + -polis (city). Earliest documented use: 1819.

USAGE:
"This merchant lived a long life in Egypt and was buried in the Saqqara necropolis."
Nevine El-Aref; Ancient Egyptians in Arabia; Al-Ahram Weekly (Cairo, Egypt); Nov 11, 2010.

See more usage examples of necropolis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
A writer -- and, I believe, generally all persons -- must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (1899-1986)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith