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Added 9 October 2026

dungeon

/ˈdʌn.d͡ʒən/ noun

In Latin: carcer, robur Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dungeon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress.
A dark cell (usually underground) where prisoners can be confined.

Origin

From Middle English dongeoun (“keep of a castle; dungeon; abyss, cave, den; whirlpool”), from Anglo-Norman donjun (“keep of a castle; keep used as a prison; dungeon”) and continental Old French donjon (“keep of a castle”), from Vulgar Latin *dominiōnem, seemingly derived from Latin dominus (“master, lord”) perhaps via some figurative sense like “dominant building”. Doublet of donjon.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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