labyrinth

Everyday

1. A complicated network of paths or passages where it is easy to get lost; a maze. tree →
2. Something very complicated and confusing, like a labyrinth of rules. tree →
3. (Greek myth) The maze on the island of Crete where the Minotaur lived. tree →
4. (science) The inner part of the ear, which helps with hearing and balance. tree →
5. A single winding path used for walking and thinking or prayer, found in some churches and gardens. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and myths, Theseus went into the Labyrinth to fight the Minotaur and used a thread to find his way out. In maths puzzles pupils solve mazes; in science, the inner ear's labyrinth controls balance. In church life, some cathedrals have prayer labyrinths. Phrases: a labyrinth of streets, lost in a labyrinth.

Examples

• Theseus entered the labyrinth to fight the Minotaur. tree →
• The old town is a labyrinth of narrow streets. tree →
• We got lost in the hedge labyrinth at the castle. tree →
• The tax forms were a labyrinth of rules. tree →
• The inner ear's labyrinth helps you keep your balance. tree →
• Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to escape the labyrinth. tree →
• Chartres Cathedral has a famous labyrinth set in its floor. tree →
• They stood in a labyrinth of endless halls and arched passages, all communicating with each other. tree →

Note

Countable: a labyrinth, labyrinths. Spelling: «y» after «b», «-inth» at the end. Pronounced LAB-uh-rinth. Adjective: labyrinthine (very complicated). A maze may have dead ends; strictly, an old-style labyrinth is one winding path, but in everyday English they mean the same.