columbarium

American  

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

noun

columbaria plural

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

There is also what appears to be a grey building that sits in the middle of the graveyard - likely to be a columbarium which houses funeral urns, says Chung.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Her remains are stored in one of a series of ornate lockers in the columbarium of a Buddhist temple in Hsinchu, second from the bottom, just a few feet away from my uncle, her son.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2024

At a columbarium, there is little to sweep and not enough space for elaborate altar spreads.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2023

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

A door in the wall, on the left of the approach to the grotto, and a very steep staircase, lead to the columbarium, which is situated in a pretty fruit-garden.

From Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 8 Italy and Greece, Part Two by Halsey, Francis W. (Francis Whiting)