labyrinths

Noun

labyrinth (plural labyrinths)

1. (Greek) A complicated irregular network of passages or paths, especially underground or covered, in which it is difficult to find one's way.
   • Mrs. Churchill liked the interminable labyrinths of the Cyrus and the Cassandra, because she had liked them in the days of her girlhood. Youth identifies itself with the romance; it is the heroic knight, or the lovely lady, of which it reads; it lives amid those fine creations; its sweetest hours...1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 264–265

   Synonyms:

   maze

2. (Greek) A maze formed by paths separated by high hedges.
3. (Greek) A structure similar to a maze, but containing only one path with no branches, as distinguished from a maze which contains multiple branching paths
4. (Greek, broadly) Anything complicated and confusing in structure, arrangement, or character.
   • Recent investigations into alleged wrongdoings at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal an apparent labyrinth of deceit, competitiveness, and a sluggish approach to fighting AIDS/ARC.1986 February 15, Elizabeth Pincus, “The CDC: When Politics & Egos Hamper Saving Lives”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 39, page 1
5. A complex structure in the inner ear which contains the organs of hearing and balance, consisting of bony cavities (the bony labyrinth) filled with fluid and lined with sensitive membranes (the membranous labyrinth).
6. An accessory respiratory organ of certain fish.

See all 11 meanings of labyrinth