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labyrinth (LAB-eh-rinth) noun

1. An intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. Labyrinth: The maze in which the Minotaur was confined in Greek mythology.

2. Something highly intricate or convoluted in character, composition, or construction

3. A group of complex interconnecting anatomical cavities.

[Middle English laberinthe, from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek laburinthos possibly akin to labrus, double-headed axe, of Lydian origin.]

"His curiosity aroused, Eibi dug open one of the mounds, to find inside a spiraling labyrinth of tunnels, storage chambers full of edible plant parts, a nest chamber, and a toilet chamber full of the droppings of some small animal." Diamond, Jared, Evolving backward, Discover Magazine, 1 Sep 1998.

This week's theme: words from Greek and Roman mythology.

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