grotto
/ˈɡrɒtəʊ
/noun (plural grottoes or grottos)
1A small picturesque cave, especially an artificial one in a park or garden.In addition to the gardens, there were two grottos with hidden, artificial lighting, that sheltered the new friendship, if not love, flourishing between David and Carrie....
- In the Renaissance garden, elemental forces of nature were represented by fountains, statuary, and artificial grottoes.
- Such garden grottos first became popular in Italy before spreading to England in the Tudor period.
Synonyms
cave, cavern, cavity, hollow, recess, alcove;
tunnel, pothole, underground chamber
1.1An indoor structure resembling a cave: visits to Father Christmas’s grotto...
- This palace had underground rooms or grottoes with wall paintings depicting elaborately swirled and bizarre floral and figural motifs.
- Rolling over to find sweet relief from his side, he stared blankly at the ceiling, a grubby grotto of sepia walls.
- More than 30,000 children and adults had visited his grotto the year before.
Derivatives
grottoed
Origin
Early 17th century: from Italian grotta, via Latin from Greek kruptē (see crypt).