sarcophagus
noun
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Body-eating coffins might sound like something out of a horror film, but flesh-eating stone? The latter plays a role in the etymology of sarcophagus; it is the literal translation of líthos sarkóphagos, the Greek phrase that underlies the English term. The phrase traveled through Latin between Greek and English, taking on the form lapis sarcophagus before being shortened to sarcophagus. It's not clear whether the ancient Romans believed that a certain type of limestone from the region around Troy would dissolve flesh (and thus was desirable for making coffins); that assertion came from Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, but he also reported such phenomena as dog-headed people and elephants who wrote Greek. Regardless, there is no doubt that the ancient Greek word for the limestone traces back to a combination of sárx, meaning "flesh," and a derivative of phagein, a verb meaning "to eat."
Examples of sarcophagus in a Sentence
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2025
What would protect the already unstable sarcophagus while that work was carried out?
—Kim Barker, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Other stunts in the Nosferatu campaign included 250-pound sarcophaguses in theater lobbies such as the Alamo Drafthouse that denizens could play around in; the NBCUniversal online gift store sold such beds for $20,000.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
An exact replica of the sarcophagus bed featured in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is now on sale.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Sarcophagus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcophagus. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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sarcophagus
noun
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