Definition of cataphile

English Dictionary - With Multi-Lingual Search

cataphile
noun

A type of urban explorer who illegally visits the ancient "catacombs" (actually ancient quarries linked by tunnels) beneath Paris.

- 1998: Murray Battle, Paris Underground from Infiltration 9, read on Infiltration's website at http://www.infiltration.org/catacomb.htm on 21 June 2006 - I've just spent ten hours under Paris with a bunch of crazy cataphiles, drug dealers and extreme tourists.
- 2002: Christopher Ketcham, Spelunking the empire of death in Salon read on Salon Media Group's website at http://archive.salon.com/people/feature/2002/06/19/catacombs/print.html on 21 June 2006 - Like all cataphiles, he goes by his cave-handle, his catanym: Lezard Peint translates as "the Painted Lizard".
- 2004: Joelle Diderich, Police Play Cat & Mouse With New French Underground in 13 Oct 04 issue of The Scotsman, read at http://www.rense.com/general58/catn.htm on 21 Jun 2006 - Skilled cataphiles elude police by ducking into corridors or moving in the dark.
- 2005, David L. Pike, Subterranean Cities: The World Beneath Paris and London, 1800-1945 p. 177 - Caption of a picture on page 176 of a French cartoon: "...a Prussian zombie, and a Polish lamia, the Countess Norodna, in the Left Bank carrières (top and bottom frame right). The artist is a former , and the series is replete with subterranean history and folklore. The dialogue..."
  1. (context, by extension) Any individual who explores subterranean quarry, quarries, mines, or catacombs.

Etymology: From French cataphile

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