labyrinth

/ˌlæb(ə)ˈrɪnθ/

/ˈlæbərɪnθ/

Other forms: labyrinths

A labyrinth is a structure with many connected paths or passages in which it is hard to find your way. In figurative use, a labyrinth is a complicated situation: our tax code is a labyrinth of rules and regulations.

In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was the structure built for King Minos of Crete to confine the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. The word maze is a near synonym for labyrinth, and is also used figuratively, as in, "After war broke out, trying to figure out how to get a visa to leave the country was like navigating a maze, a veritable labyrinth of wrong turns and false hope."

Definitions of labyrinth

1. noun

   complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
   synonyms: maze, warren

   examples:

   Labyrinth of Minos

   a vast labyrinth built in Crete by Daedalus at the command of Minos in order to contain the Minotaur

   type of:

   system

   instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
2. noun

   a complex system of interconnecting cavities; concerned with hearing and equilibrium
   synonyms: inner ear, internal ear

   type of:

   receptor, sense organ, sensory receptor

   an organ having nerve endings (in the skin or eye or ear or nose or mouth) that respond to stimulation