ossuary

  • 1Ossuary — in Hallstatt, Austria An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then… …

    Wikipedia

  • 2Ossuary — Os su*a*ry, n.; pl. { ries}. [L. ossuarium, fr. ossuarius of or bones, fr. os, ossis, bone: cf. F. ossuaire.] A place where the bones of the dead are deposited; a charnel house. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3ossuary — 1650s, an urn for the bones of the dead, from L.L. ossuarium charnel house, from L. os bone (see OSSEOUS (Cf. osseous)) on model of mortuarium …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4ossuary — [n] urn container, receptacle, vault, vessel; concept 494 …

    New thesaurus

  • 5ossuary — [äs′yo͞o er΄ē] n. pl. ossuaries [LL ossuarium < ossuarius, of or for bones < L os: see OSSIFY] a container, as an urn or vault, for the bones of the dead …

    English World dictionary

  • 6ossuary — noun (plural aries) Etymology: Late Latin ossuarium, from Latin, neuter of ossuarius of bones, from Old Latin ossua, plural of oss , os Date: 1658 a depository for the bones of the dead …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 7ossuary — /osh ooh er ee, os /, n., pl. ossuaries. a place or receptacle for the bones of the dead. Also, ossuarium. [1650 60; < LL ossuarium, var. of OSSARIUM, equiv. to oss (s. of os) bone + arium ARY] * * * …

    Universalium

  • 8ossuary — noun A container or receptacle, such as an urn or vault, for holding the bones of the dead …

    Wiktionary

  • 9ossuary — Synonyms and related words: barrow, beehive tomb, bone house, bone pot, box grave, burial, burial chamber, burial mound, catacombs, cenotaph, charnel house, cinerary urn, cist, cist grave, cromlech, crypt, deep six, dokhma, dolmen, funeral urn,&#8230; …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 10ossuary — I (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) n. urn, receptacle, vault. II (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun A burial place or receptacle for human remains: catacomb, cinerarium, crypt, grave1, mausoleum, sepulcher, sepulture, tomb, vault1. See KEEP, PLACE …

    English dictionary for students