cenotaph
UK /ˈsɛn.əˌtɑːf/ · US /ˈsɛn.əˌtæf/ noun, proper noun
Forms cenotaphs the Cenotaph
- noun A monument, generally in the form of an empty tomb, erected to honour the dead whose bodies lie elsewhere, especially members of the armed forces who died in battle. “A cenotaph was erected for him in Gaul, while his body was taken to Rome and inclosed in a magnificent tomb.”
- proper noun (UK) A war memorial in Whitehall, London, England.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French cénotaphe, from Ancient Greek κενός (kenós, “empty”) + τάφος (táphos, “tomb”). By surface analysis ceno- + -taph.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Gr. cénotaphe.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cenotaph”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details