morgue

American  

[mawrg] / mɔrg /

noun

1. a place in which bodies are kept, especially the bodies of victims of violence or accidents, pending identification or burial.

2. a reference file of old clippings, mats, books, etc., in a newspaper office.

3. the room containing such a reference file.

4. any place, as a room or file, where records, information, or objects are kept for unexpected but possible future use.

5. such records, information, or objects.

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morgue ¹ British  

/ mɔːɡ /

noun

1. another word for mortuary

2. informal a room or file containing clippings, files, etc, used for reference in a newspaper

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morgue ² British  

/ mɔrɡ /

noun

1. superiority; haughtiness

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Etymology

Origin of morgue

1815–25; < French; name of building in Paris housing unidentified dead bodies

Example Sentences

In many cases, Iranians say it has taken them days to identify the bodies of relatives among the vast number of people transferred to morgues.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mourners gathered around the bodies as they were taken from the morgue towards the hospital courtyard, where men lined up in silence to perform an Islamic funeral prayer recited for the dead.

From Barron's

Qaiser said that officials were unable to help them, describing how his family had been told to visit both the burns centre and the morgue at different times.

From BBC

People reached by the Journal reported seeing masses of bodies in morgues and cemeteries and believed the death toll to be higher than what’s been acknowledged by authorities.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Several families, fearing that the authorities might keep the bodies or bury them without their knowledge, broke open the morgue door and pulled the bodies out of ambulances," the source told the BBC.

From BBC

Related Words

• funeral home