columbarium

American  

[kol-uhm-bair-ee-uhm] / ˌkɒl əmˈbɛər i əm /

noun

plural

columbaria

1. a sepulchral vault or other structure with recesses in the walls to receive the ashes of the dead.

2. any one of these recesses.

3. columbary.

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columbarium British  

/ ˌkɒləmˈbɛərɪəm /

noun

1. another name for a dovecote

2. a vault having niches for funeral urns

3. a hole in a wall into which a beam is inserted

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Etymology

Origin of columbarium

1840–50; < Latin: literally, a nesting box for pigeons, equivalent to columb ( a ) pigeon, dove + -ārium -ary

Example Sentences

But on a dreary Sunday afternoon last fall, bouquets of white roses and blue hydrangeas enlivened the Spanish marble columbarium where Drakeo the Ruler is interred.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

The event is centered on volunteers who place wreaths at a veteran’s headstone or columbarium niche to honor their legacy and sacrifice.

From Washington Times • Nov. 29, 2022

Ms. Morissette and partners purchased it in 1980 for $50,000 to use as a columbarium, state records show.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2022

A requiem mass for Tutu will be held on New Year’s Day before he is cremated and his remains placed in a columbarium in the cathedral.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 2021

Frequently the walls are pitted with the loculi of a columbarium, which, however, appear to be too small to receive cinerary urns and must be intended for some other purpose.

From How to Observe in Archaeology by Various