adjective / noun
mortuary
MOR-choo-air-ee/ˈmɔːrtʃueri/
Relating to the care or burial of the dead.
The mortuary has closed storage drawers and an empty covered trolley.
Etymology
The death root underlies an adjective meaning 'pertaining to the dead.' Its later use for a place was a gentler alternative to 'deadhouse,' naming where bodies are kept temporarily.
In context
step inside a mortuary and witness what happens in those moments after life ends before a loved one is seen again by their family.
More examples
- She studies mortuary science to prepare for work as a funeral director.
- Mortuary customs vary widely across cultures.
- The body remains at the mortuary until the funeral.
Forms
mortuary · mortuaries