noun
morgue
mawg
Morgue (noun) means a building or room, especially at a hospital or under police authority, where dead bodies are kept until identification or burial. Example: “The body was taken to the morgue for a formal identification.”
noun
1
A building or room, especially at a hospital or under police authority, where dead bodies are kept until identification or burial.
"The body was taken to the morgue for a formal identification."
"Detectives visited the morgue to review the coroner's report."
2
A newspaper's archive of old clippings, photos, and background files kept for reference.
"The reporter dug through the paper's morgue for photos from the original story."
How to use morgue
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often means the place bodies are stored before burial; the newspaper-archive meaning is an older, less common extension.
Common pairings
taken to the morgue
city morgue
the paper's morgue
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Word forms
- Plural
- morgues
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The body was taken to the _____ for a formal identification.
Etymology
From French morgue. The newspaper sense grew out of the mortuary sense, by way of an old meaning "a place where things sit unclaimed and unused."
Synonyms
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mortuary
dead room
Related words
Rhymes for morgue
See all rhymes for morgue →Frequently asked questions
What does “morgue” mean?
The word “morgue” means a building or room, especially at a hospital or under police authority, where dead bodies are kept until identification or burial. In plain terms, most often means the place bodies are stored before burial; the newspaper-archive meaning is an older, less common extension.
How do you pronounce “morgue”?
“Morgue” is pronounced mawg (/moɹɡ/ in IPA).
How do you use “morgue” in a sentence?
Here is “morgue” used in a sentence: “The body was taken to the morgue for a formal identification.”
What part of speech is “morgue”?
“Morgue” is a noun.
Where does the word “morgue” come from?
The word “morgue” comes from French. From French morgue. The newspaper sense grew out of the mortuary sense, by way of an old meaning "a place where things sit unclaimed and unused.".
How many meanings does “morgue” have?
“Morgue” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a building or room, especially at a hospital or under police authority, where dead bodies are kept until identification or burial.
