mortuary
A place where dead bodies are stored prior to burial or cremationA place where dead bodies are stored prior to burial or cremation; broadly, synonym of funeral home.
» Tom broke into a mortuary.
Meaning
2 sensesA place where dead bodies are stored prior to burial or cremation; broadly, synonym of funeral home.
a building (or room) where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation
(historical)A sort of ecclesiastical heriot, a customary gift claimed by, and due to, the minister of a parish on the death of a parishioner.
Examples
3 sentencesTom broke into a mortuary.
Tom's corpse is in the mortuary now.
"You can take him to the mortuary now," he said. "There is nothing more to be learned."
Origin
From Middle English mortuary, from Anglo-Norman mortuarie (“gift to a parish priest from aFrom Middle English mortuary, from Anglo-Norman mortuarie (“gift to a parish priest from a deceased parishioner”), from Medieval Latin mortuārium (“receptacle for the dead; mortuary”), neuter form of mortuārius (“of or pertaining to the dead”), from Latin mortuus, perfect passive participle of morior (“to die”).
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Forms
plural: mortuaries| Singular | mortuary |
|---|---|
| Plural | mortuaries |
regular