1. underground burial places consisting of tunnels with recesses for tombs, especially those used by early Christians in Rome

Examples

• The ancient catacombs beneath Rome contain thousands of early Christian graves.
• Tourists can visit the famous catacombs of San Callisto with a guided tour.
• The walls of the catacombs are decorated with early Christian symbols and frescoes.
• Archaeologists discovered new passages in the catacombs last year.
• The catacombs served as secret meeting places for persecuted Christians.
• Many saints and martyrs were buried in the Roman catacombs.