mortuary
UK: ˈmɔːtʃuəri | US: ˈmɔːrtʃueri
n. a building or room where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation
n. (historical) a gift or service owed to a parish church by the deceased's estate
The word "mortuary" traces back to Latin mortuarius, meaning "of the dead." The root mort- is prolific in English, appearing in words like "mortal," "immortal," and "mortify." The suffix -uary (via Latin -arius) denotes association, forming nouns like "sanctuary" (holy place) and "vestuary" (clothing-related). The term originally referred to feudal death duties before specializing to its modern sense of a place for the dead in the 19th century.
The body was transferred to the mortuary for an autopsy.
The hospital's mortuary was temporarily overcrowded during the pandemic.
In medieval England, a mortuary payment was required for burial rites.
The mortuary staff handled the remains with professionalism and respect.
Archaeologists discovered an ancient mortuary chamber beneath the temple.