noun
morgue
MORG/mɔːrɡ/
A place where dead bodies are kept before identification or burial.
The body remains in the morgue until relatives can identify it.
Etymology
The French Morgue was a place where bodies were displayed for identification. Earlier, the name designated a place where new prisoners were shown to keepers so their faces could be recognized.
In context
The city morgue, constructed to accommodate thirty-six corpses, was inundated with over five hundred bodies stacked on floors, on tables, and in exterior alleys.
More examples
- A hospital employee takes the body to the morgue.
- The funeral home collects her father's body from the morgue.
- The city needs a larger morgue.
Forms
morgue · morgues
Similar words
- mortuary
- Often includes preparation of bodies for funerals, not just storage.