mortuary
Americannoun
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a customary gift formerly claimed by and due to the incumbent of a parish in England from the estate of a deceased parishioner.
adjective
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of or relating to the burial of the dead.
-
pertaining to or connected with death.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mortuary
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
Explanation
A mortuary is a room or area, often in a hospital, where dead bodies are kept. You can also use the word mortuary to talk about a funeral home. When a person dies in a hospital, his body is usually moved to a mortuary before an autopsy takes place. A mortuary is also where a body is kept until it's buried or cremated. Another word for a mortuary is a morgue, which is more commonly used in the United States. In the 1500's, mortuary was used as an adjective meaning "pertaining to death," from the Latin root word mortuus, or "dead."
Vocabulary lists containing mortuary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Operation Perth discovered breaches of regulations of the Human Tissue Act in relation to the management and operating practices of the mortuary services.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
The review team identified significant failures in post-death care, including concerns related to loss of dignity, poor mortuary processes, lack of effective identification systems and inappropriate communication.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
"We want it to be made mandatory that when someone arrives at the mortuary then bloods should be taken," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
Among those helping prepare victims for burial was Kazem Pourzahedian, a fabric merchant in Minab who for 10 years has volunteered at a local mortuary to perform the ritual washing of the dead.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
In the mortuary, her friends from the casa de santo dressed Felicia in her initiation gown, her crown, and her necklaces.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
