Sonderkommando

[ zon-der-kuh-man-doh; German zawn-duh r-kaw-mahn-daw ]
/ ˈzɒn dər kəˌmæn doʊ; German ˈzɔn dər kɔˈmɑn dɔ /

noun (in World War II Nazi concentration camps)

a group of prisoners assigned to collect belongings and dispose of the bodies of other prisoners who had died or been killed.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Compare Kapo.

Origin of Sonderkommando

< German: special detachment, equivalent to sonder- separate, special + Kommando detachment, mission, command < Italian commando; see command, commando
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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