from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Labyrinth \Lab"y*rinth\, n. [L. labyrinthus, Gr. laby`rinthos:
cf. F. labyrinthe.]
1. An edifice or place full of intricate passageways which
render it difficult to find the way from the interior to
the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan labyrinths.
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Note: The Labyrinth of Classical Mythology was a vast maze
constructed by Daedalus on the island of Crete, in
order to confine the Minotaur; the task was done at the
command of King Minos. One theory suggests that the
myth had some basis in the structure of the palace of
King Minos at Knossos, in Crete, it being a
multistoried royal palace with labyrinthine passages
between rooms.
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2. Hence: Any intricate or involved inclosure; especially, an
ornamental maze or inclosure in a park or garden, having
high hedges separating confusingly convoluted passages.
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3. Any object or arrangement of an intricate or involved
form, or having a very complicated nature.
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The serpent . . . fast sleeping soon he found,
In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled. --Milton.
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The labyrinth of the mind. --Tennyson.
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4. An inextricable or bewildering difficulty.
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I' the maze and winding labyrinths o' the world.
--Denham.
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5. (Anat.) The internal ear. See Note under {Ear}.
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6. (Metal.) A series of canals through which a stream of
water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and
depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a
metal. --Ure.
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7. (Arch.) A pattern or design representing a maze, -- often
inlaid in the tiled floor of a church, etc.
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Syn: Maze; confusion; intricacy; windings.
Usage: {Labyrinth}, {Maze}. Labyrinth, originally; the name
of an edifice or excavation, carries the idea of
design, and construction in a permanent form, while
maze is used of anything confused or confusing,
whether fixed or shifting. Maze is less restricted in
its figurative uses than labyrinth. We speak of the
labyrinth of the ear, or of the mind, and of a
labyrinth of difficulties; but of the mazes of the
dance, the mazes of political intrigue, or of the mind
being in a maze.
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