grotto

[ grot-oh ]

noun

, plural grot·toes, grot·tos.

1. a cave or cavern.
2. an artificial cavernlike recess or structure.

grotto

/ ˈɡrɒtəʊ /

noun

1. a small cave, esp one with attractive features
2. a construction in the form of a cave, esp as in landscaped gardens during the 18th century

Other Words From

• grottoed adjective
• grotto·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grotto¹

1610–20; < Italian grotta < Vulgar Latin *crupta, for Latin crypta subterranean passage, chamber. See crypt

Word History and Origins

Origin of grotto¹

C17: from Old Italian grotta, from Late Latin crypta vault; see crypt

Example Sentences

The last time she communicated with Ms Rose was earlier on the day of the fire when she texted asking for food suggestions for an early Christmas buffet for the boys, having organised a "Santa's grotto" in the garden, the court heard.

From BBC

If you’ve ever taken a rowboat into the Blue Grotto on the Italian isle of Capri, this cave’s interior will give you déja vù in another hue.

From Los Angeles Times

The Playboy Mansion, in Holmby Hills, is another 1920s mock-Tudor sprawl whose living adornments, Playboy Playmates, and its testosterone toys, like a game room and the legendary “grotto,” enhanced the reputation of the place and of its lord and master, Hugh Hefner, the founder and publisher of Playboy magazine.

From Los Angeles Times

He found the perfect spot on Vrbo: It offered a “spa in a grotto,” a slide and a swim-up bar and had plenty of five-star reviews.

From New York Times

A short distance away is a shelf of vintage mystery paperbacks that, when pressed in the correct spots, opens onto a kind of grotto.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cavern