n., pl., -le·ums, or -le·a (-lē'ə).
- A large stately tomb or a building housing such a tomb or several tombs.
- A gloomy, usually large room or building.
[Middle English, from Latin Mausōlēum, from Greek Mausōleion, from Mausōlos, Mausolus (died c. 353 ), Persian satrap of Caria whose tomb was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.]
mausolean mau'so·le'an adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
