Labyrinth

1. An edifice or place full of intricate passageways which render it difficult to find the way from the interior to the entrance; as, the Egyptian and Cretan labyrinths.
2. Any object or arrangement of an intricate or involved form, or having a very complicated nature.
3. An inextricable or bewildering difficulty.
4. (Anat.) The internal ear. See Note under Ear.
5. (Metal.) A series of canals through which a stream of water is directed for suspending, carrying off, and depositing at different distances, the ground ore of a metal.
6. (Arch.) A pattern or design representing a maze, -- often inlaid in the tiled floor of a church, etc.

The Labyrinth of Classical Mythology was a vast maze constructed by Daedalus on the island of Crete, in order to confine the Minotaur; the task was done at the command of King Minos. One theory suggests that the myth had some basis in the structure of the palace of King Minos at Knossos, in Crete, it being a multistoried royal palace with labyrinthine passages between rooms.