/ ˈlæbərɪnθ; NAmE / noun
( formal ) a complicated series of paths, which it is difficult to find your way through :
We lost our way in the labyrinth of streets.
( figurative )
a labyrinth of rules and regulations
—compare maze
► laby·rin·thine / ˌlæbəˈrɪnθaɪn; NAmE ; NAmE also -ɵɪn/ adjective ( formal ):
labyrinthine corridors
labyrinthine legislation
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (referring to the maze constructed by Daedalus (a craftsman and father of Icarus) to house the Minotaur in Greek mythology): from French labyrinthe or Latin labyrinthus , from Greek laburinthos .