columbarium
pronunciation
How to pronounce columbarium in British English:
UK [ˌkɒləm'berɪəm]
How to pronounce columbarium in American English:
US [ˌkɒləm'berɪrm]
-
- Noun:
- a niche for a funeral urn containing the ashes of the cremated dead
- a sepulchral vault or other structure having recesses in the walls to receive cinerary urns
Word Origin
- columbarium (n.)
- "subterranean sepulchre in ancient Roman places with niches for urns holding remains," neuter of Latin columbarius, "dove-cote" (so called from resemblance), literally "pertaining to doves;" from columba "dove." Literal sense of "dove-cote" is attested in English from 1881.
Example
- 1. He comes to the conclusion that this place must have been a christian burial-ground , a columbarium from the nestorian days .