σπήλαιον

English (LSJ)

τό,

   A grotto, cavern, Pl.R.514a, 515a, 539e, Moschio Trag. 6.5, Satyr.Vit.Eur.Fr.39 ix 6, Apoc.6.15, etc.; σ. λῃστῶν den of robbers, LXX Je.7.11, Ev.Matt.21.13; of a grave, Supp.Epigr.7.160 (Palmyra, i A.D.), 166 (ibid., ii A.D.), Ev.Jo.11.38.    2 privy parts, LXX Hb. 2.15 (pl.).    3 place behind the scenes in a theatre, Poll.4.124.

German (Pape)

[Seite 921] τό, wie σπῆλυγξ, Höhle; Plat. Rep. VII, 514 a ff; Luc. u. a. Sp.

Greek (Liddell-Scott)

σπήλαιον: τό, (σπέος) ὡς τὸ σπήλυγξ, Λατιν. spelaeum, Πλάτ. Πολ. 514Α, 515Α, 539Ε. 2) παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδ. (Ἀββ. Β΄, 15), φαίνεται ὅτι σημαίνει τὰ κρύφια μέλη ἢ αἰδοῖα. 3) τόπος ὄπισθεν τῆς σκηνῆς ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ, Πολυδ. Δ΄, 124.

French (Bailly abrégé)

ου (τό) :
caverne, grotte, cavité.
Étymologie: σπέος ; cf. σπῆλυγξ.

English (Strong)

neuter of a presumed derivative of speos (a grotto); a cavern; by implication, a hiding-place or resort: cave, den.

English (Thayer)

σπηλαίου, τό (σπέος (cavern; cf. Curtius, § 111)), a cave (den): Plato, Plutarch, Lucian, Aelian, others; the Sept. for מְעָרָה.)

Greek Monotonic

σπήλαιον: τό (σπέος), σπήλαιο, σπηλιά, άντρο, λημέρι, σε Πλάτ.

Russian (Dvoretsky)

σπήλαιον: τό пещера Plat., Luc., NT.

Dutch (Woordenboekgrieks.nl)

σπήλαιον -ου, τό [~ σπέος?] grot, hol, spelonk:. σ. λῃστῶν rovershol NT Mt. 21.13.

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: n.
Meaning: cave, cavern (Pl., LXX, NT a. o.).
Derivatives: σπηλαιώδης cave-like, -αΐτης m. god of caves (Paus.), -άδιον n. (Theopomp. Com.; after the dimin. in -άδιον; not -ᾳδιον; cf. Hdn. Gr. 2, 488, 12). -- Beside it σπῆλυγξ, -υγγος f. id. (Arist., Theoc., A. R. a.o.) with σπηλυγγ-ώδης (EM), -οειδής (sch.).
Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin] (V)
Etymology: Both σπήλαιον and σπῆλυγξ are clearly enlarging transformations of one and the same basic word after diff. examples: with σπῆλυγξ cf. the semantically close σῆραγξ, φάραγξ, also φάρυγξ, λάρυγξ; σπήλαιον after κατά-, ὑπό-γαιος, -ον? The basic λ-stem can be in the same relation to the σ-stem in σπέος as e.g. νεφ-έλη to νέφ-ος. Further unclear; quite doubtful hypotheses w. lit. in Bq s. v., WP. 2, 680, W.-Hofmann s. spīrō. -- Lat. LW [loanword] spēlaeum and spēlunca (s. W.-Hofmann s.v. and Rohlfs ByzZ 37, 60f.); Alb. LW [loanword] shpellë rock, cave (Pisani Jb. f. kleinas. Forsch. 3, 152). - Furnée 123 reconstructs a *σπῆλυξ. -υκος from Lat. *speluca. He further adduces πῆλυξ = ῥαγάς (H., Phot.). He also reminds of Etr. śpel(a) cave, tomb`. The word is no doubt Pre-Greek (note the prenasalization and the suffix -υγγ-).