mortuary

[mawr-choo-er-ee]

noun

plural

mortuaries 

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 called: morgue. a building where dead bodies are kept before cremation or burial

adjective

1. of or relating to death or burial

Other Word Forms

• premortuary 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

Footage filmed by a freelance journalist working for the BBC at Nasser's mortuary appeared to show the body of a blindfolded man.

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PC Matanka's body is now in a mortuary and there will be a post-mortem later.

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Friend B and another friend went to the mortuary to see Agnes's body.

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There are several families like Mr Shrestha's waiting outside the mortuary for their names to be called so they can identify the bodies.

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He had to identify her body in the mortuary.

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Related Words

• morgue