subterrane

[ suhb-tuh-reyn, suhb-tuh-reyn ]

noun

1. a cave or subterranean room.

Word History and Origins

Origin of subterrane¹

1605–15, in sense “subterranean”; 1765–75 for current sense; < Latin subterrāneus subterranean, equivalent to sub- sub- + terr ( a ) earth + -āneus composite adj. suffix, equivalent to -ān ( us ) -an + -eus -eous

Example Sentences

The first thing you’ll notice about 424’s newly minted flagship is that it looks as if the cave-like space, with clothes neatly hanging on racks made from industrial beams and footwear placed on floating shelves throughout, came from a postapocalyptic subterrane in a “Blade Runner”-style Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

The first thing you’ll notice about 424’s newly minted flagship is that it looks as if the cave-like space, with clothes neatly hanging on racks made from industrial beams and footwear placed on floating shelves throughout, came from a postapocalyptic subterrane in a “Blade Runner”-style Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Brahms takes us to subterrane depths; Beethoven is for the heights.

From Project Gutenberg

As they hurried through its subterrane recesses in search of treasure they frequently, to their amazement, found themselves immersed in honey, or swimming in wine; for there were large receptacles of wine, honey, and corn, hewn into the solid rock, the nature of which was such that, though, as we are told, they had been filled in the time of Hassan Sabah, the corn was perfectly sound, and the wine had not soured.

From Project Gutenberg

Sancho then began to scratch his head, in order to fetch the letter to his remembrance; now he stood upon one foot, and then upon the other; sometimes he looked down upon the ground, sometimes up to the sky; then, biting off half a nail, and keeping his hearers long in expectation, he said, "At the beginning I believe it said, 'High and subterrane lady.'"

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cave
• grotto
• pothole