mortuary

[ mawr-choo-er-ee ]

noun

, plural mor·tu·ar·ies.

1. funeral home.
2. a customary gift formerly claimed by and due to the incumbent of a parish in England from the estate of a deceased parishioner.

adjective

1. of or relating to the burial of the dead.
2. pertaining to or connected with death.

mortuary

/ ˈmɔːtʃʊərɪ /

noun

1. Also calledmorgue a building where dead bodies are kept before cremation or burial

adjective

1. of or relating to death or burial

Other Words From

• pre·mortu·ary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortuary¹

1350–1400; Middle English mortuarie < Medieval Latin mortuārium, noun use of neuter of Latin mortuārius of the dead, equivalent to mortu ( us ) dead + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortuary¹

C14 (as n, a funeral gift to a parish priest): via Medieval Latin mortuārium (n) from Latin mortuārius of the dead

Example Sentences

“It’s important to reach out to families and get a reference sample, to exclude the possibility that their relative might be in a mortuary,” says Mr Holliday.

From BBC

“We talk and walk them through the process. The key thing is, if you provide blood, you may actually find that your relative is on a rack in a mortuary. Wouldn’t you rather find that out?”

From BBC

Harassment and threats come from patients, their friends and families too, she says, describing how members of the public attacked her team while they were handling bodies in the mortuary last year.

From BBC

Mrs Cope referenced the hospital recently partially losing its mortuary accreditation, after assessors raised concerns about security following two mix-ups of bodies given to bereaved families.

From BBC

"It's not just an issue solely related to the mortuary," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• morgue