sarcophagus
Meaning
a stone coffin, especially one that is decorated and displayed above ground.
Structure
Usage
the ancient egyptian sarcophagus was intricately carved with hieroglyphs and symbols.
archaeologists discovered a remarkably well-preserved roman sarcophagus beneath the city square.
the museum's central exhibit features a massive granite sarcophagus from the classical period.
Etymology
the word 'sarcophagus' originates from the latin 'sarcophagus', which was borrowed from the greek 'sarkophagos' (lithos), meaning 'flesh-eating (stone)'. this term was used for a specific type of limestone from assos, believed to rapidly consume the flesh of corpses placed within it. the greek word is a compound of 'sarx' (flesh) and 'phagein' (to eat). over time, the term shifted from describing the material itself to denoting the coffin made from it, eventually generalizing to any ornate stone coffin, while the original, literal sense of 'flesh-eating' faded from common awareness.
Analysis
sarc is from greek 'sarx, sark-' meaning 'flesh'. phag is from greek 'phagein' meaning 'to eat'. us is a latin adjectival suffix used to form adjectives from greek roots.