Oubliette: meaning, definitions and examples
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oubliette
[ ˌuːbliˈɛt ]
castle dungeons
An oubliette is a secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling. The name comes from the French word 'oublier', which means 'to forget'. Oubliettes were commonly used in medieval castles to imprison and sometimes forget about prisoners.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The prisoner was thrown into the oubliette and left to rot.
- The only light in the oubliette came from a small hole in the ceiling.
Translations
Translations of the word "oubliette" in other languages:
🇵🇹 calabouço
- masmorra
- prisão subterrânea
🇮🇳 तहखाना
🇩🇪 Verlies
- Kerker
- unterirdisches Gefängnis
🇮🇩 penjara bawah tanah
🇺🇦 підземелля
- темниця
- підземна в'язниця
🇵🇱 loch
🇯🇵 地下牢
🇫🇷 oubliette
- cachot
- prison souterraine
🇪🇸 mazmorra
- calabozo
- prisión subterránea
🇹🇷 zindan
🇰🇷 지하 감옥
🇸🇦 زنزانة تحت الأرض
🇨🇿 důl
🇸🇰 diera
🇨🇳 地牢
🇸🇮 ječa
🇮🇸 neðanjarðarfangelsi
🇰🇿 жерасты абақтысы
🇬🇪 მიწისქვეშა ციხე
🇦🇿 yeraltı həbsxanası
🇲🇽 mazmorra
- calabozo
- prisión subterránea
Etymology
The word 'oubliette' originates from the French word 'oublier', which means 'to forget'. The concept of oubliettes dates back to medieval times when they were commonly used as dark and isolated dungeons to hold prisoners, often forgotten by the outside world. Oubliettes were designed to be difficult to escape from, with access only through a trapdoor in the ceiling, making them a fearsome and effective form of imprisonment.
Word Frequency Rank
At position #40,823, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.