grotto
Americannoun
plural
grottoes, grottos-
a cave or cavern.
-
an artificial cavernlike recess or structure.
noun
-
a small cave, esp one with attractive features
-
a construction in the form of a cave, esp as in landscaped gardens during the 18th century
Other Word Forms
- grottoed adjective
- grottolike adjective
Etymology
Origin of grotto
1610–20; < Italian grotta < Vulgar Latin *crupta, for Latin crypta subterranean passage, chamber. See crypt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Word from the grotto is that this year Hot Wheels, slime, Transformers and unicorns are all still topping the request lists.
From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025
They lived in the tiger grotto and were fed at the Art Deco-style Lion House, built for the original Fleishhacker Zoo by the Works Progress Administration.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025
The church and its grotto survived the fire, though the flames charred homes within two blocks of the structure.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025
Children would build grottos from the shells and pester passers-by for pennies for their efforts, with cries of "Pray remember the grotto!"
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2025
Miss Mortimer leaned forward and lowered her voice, though they were the only diners in this hidden grotto.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
