dungeon

[ duhn-juhn ]

noun

1. a strong, dark prison or cell, usually underground, as in a medieval castle.
2. the keep or stronghold of a castle; donjon.

dungeon

/ ˈdʌndʒən /

noun

1. a close prison cell, often underground
2. a variant of donjon

Word History and Origins

Origin of dungeon¹

1250–1300; Middle English dungeo ( u ) n, dongeoun, dungun < Middle French donjon < Vulgar Latin *domniōn- (stem of *domniō ) keep, mastery, syncopated variant of *dominiōn- dominion

Word History and Origins

Origin of dungeon¹

C14: from Old French donjon; related to Latin dominus master

Example Sentences

If Link is puzzle-solving muscle, Zelda is conjurer, a solution-based thinker whose approach to monsters, dungeons and rifts that turn the world into fragments is equal parts patience, humor and, yes, action.

From Los Angeles Times

Not another cooking game, but instead a new take on a dungeon crawler where you can team up with your friends to survive in a twisted reality show competition.

From BBC

Despite being a dungeon crawler, the series has an unusually explicit focus on food.

From Salon

“Arizona’s being turned into a dumping ground for the dungeons of the third world,” he said.

From New York Times

They must embark on an arduous journey to a lava-swamped region called the Nether and then excavate deep underground to find a dungeon known as a Stronghold.

From New York Times

Related Words

• torture chamber