mortuary
Mortuary (noun) means a room or building where dead bodies are kept before a funeral or cremation. Example: “The pathologist examined the body in the hospital mortuary.”
How to use mortuary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place for storing dead bodies before burial, or an adjective describing anything to do with death and funerals.
In the US, "morgue" is more common for a hospital storage room, while "funeral home" covers the business that handles services; British English uses "mortuary" for both the room and, less often, the whole facility.
Word forms
mortuaries plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The pathologist examined the body in the hospital _____.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman mortuarie, a gift traditionally owed to a parish priest when a parishioner died, itself from Latin mortuarius, "of the dead" — from morior, "to die."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for mortuary
See all rhymes for mortuary →Frequently asked questions
What does “mortuary” mean?
The word “mortuary” means a room or building where dead bodies are kept before a funeral or cremation. In plain terms, a place for storing dead bodies before burial, or an adjective describing anything to do with death and funerals.
How do you pronounce “mortuary”?
“Mortuary” is pronounced MAWT-shoor-ree (/ˈmɔɹt͡ʃəˌwɛɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “mortuary” in a sentence?
Here is “mortuary” used in a sentence: “The pathologist examined the body in the hospital mortuary.”
What part of speech is “mortuary”?
Depending on how it is used, “mortuary” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “mortuary” come from?
The word “mortuary” comes from Latin. From Anglo-Norman mortuarie, a gift traditionally owed to a parish priest when a parishioner died, itself from Latin mortuarius, "of the dead" — from morior, "to die.".
How many meanings does “mortuary” have?
“Mortuary” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a room or building where dead bodies are kept before a funeral or cremation.