Labyrinth
Daedalus built it
A labyrinth is a complex structure of interconnecting passages designed to confuse anyone trying to navigate it—a maze.
The word extends to anything intricately complicated: a labyrinth of bureaucratic regulations, the labyrinth of narrow streets in the old city.
In anatomy, the labyrinth is the inner ear's system of fluid-filled channels.
The original Labyrinth was the mythical structure built to contain the Minotaur in Crete.
Bull-man of Greek myth
- CreteLargest Greek island
- DaedalusLegendary craftsman and inventor
- TheseusAthenian hero, beast-slayer
- AriadneMythical thread-giver
thread · maze · Minos · Knossos · bull · sacrifice · hero · escape
Puzzle of passages
- dead-endPassage without exit
- passageSegment of text
- corridorEnclosed connecting walkway
- solutionAnswer or liquid mixture
complexity · navigation · winding · twist · turn · path · entrance · exit
State of being complicated
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- bewildermentState of being baffled
intricacy · convolution · obstacle · journey · struggle · lost · trapped · overwhelming
Spiral hearing organ
- vestibularOf the balance organ
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- semicircularForming half a circle
canal · membrane · fluid · equilibrium · vertigo · labyrinthitis · auditory · vestibule
Boundary of planted shrubs
- gardenCultivated plant area
- ChartresCathedral town on Eure
- cathedralBishop's principal church
- floorIndoor walking surface
stone · walkway · topiary · ornamental · pathway · meditation · pilgrimage · sacred
Minotaur
Bull-man of Greek myth
Ariadne · thread · maze · Minos · Knossos · bull · sacrifice · hero · escape · monster
maze
Puzzle of passages
solution · complexity · navigation · winding · twist · turn · path · entrance · exit · walls
complexity
State of being complicated
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- bureaucracyRigid administrative system
- entanglementState of being intertwined
bewilderment · intricacy · convolution · obstacle · journey · struggle · lost · trapped · overwhelming · system
cochlea
Spiral hearing organ
- vestibularOf the balance organ
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
semicircular · canal · membrane · fluid · equilibrium · vertigo · labyrinthitis · auditory · vestibule · organ
hedge
Boundary of planted shrubs
floor · stone · walkway · topiary · ornamental · pathway · meditation · pilgrimage · sacred · geometric
Bowie
Scottish family name
- HensonRenowned puppeteer surname
- puppetControlled performing figure
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
Sarah · Ludo · eighties · baby · oubliette · Escher · stairs · ballroom · peach · magic
- CreteKnossos, Minoans, Minoan, Phaistos Disc, Minotaur
- 80s Pop CultureBack to the Future, E.T., Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, The Breakfast Club
- Fantasy FilmsThe NeverEnding Story, Willow, The Dark Crystal, Narnia, The Hobbit
- fantasy seriesHarry Potter, Game of Thrones, Narnia, Discworld, Earthsea
- 1986 EventsChernobyl, Challenger disaster, Halley's Comet, Top Gun, Ferris Bueller
- Cult FilmsEraserhead, The Room, Donnie Darko, Napoleon Dynamite, Army of Darkness
Labyrinthstraight line
Undeviated continuous path
straight path · direct route · corridor · hallway · straightaway
Labyrinthclear path
Unobstructed way forward
direct route · straight shot · beaten path · guided tour · highway
Labyrinthopen field
Unenclosed outdoor space
open plain · open space · wide open space · clearing · expanse
- Pan's Labyrinth
- mental labyrinthIntricate confusion of thoughts