French word

sarcophage

Pronunciation

IPA/saʁkofaʒ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsarcophagus

Example

Ils ont trouvé un sarcophage romain dans les ruines.

They found a Roman sarcophagus in the ruins.

Illustration for sarcophage (sarcophagus)

More examples

On a pris une photo du sarcophage.

Someone took a photo of the sarcophagus.

Core concept

A carved stone container enclosing a dead body or its coffin, usually seen among ancient ruins.

Similar words

tombe: A grave or tomb made for burying human remains in the ground.
cercueil: A box-shaped coffin used to hold, transport, and bury human remains.

Definition in French

Coffre ou caisse en pierre, souvent sculpté, destiné à recevoir un corps ou un cercueil, surtout dans un contexte archéologique.

Word origin

French sarcophage comes through Latin from Greek sarkophagos, meaning 'flesh-eating', a name linked to the ancient belief that certain stone consumed flesh.

Usage tips

  • Sarcophage is masculine, so the usual article is un sarcophage or le sarcophage.

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