[sem-i-ter-ee] 
| an area set apart for or containing graves, tombs, or funeral urns, esp. one that is not a churchyard; burial ground; graveyard. |
rion a sleeping place, equiv. to koimē- (var. s. of koimân to put to sleep) + -tērion suffix of locality
| cem·e·ter·y (sěm'ĭ-těr'ē) n. pl. cem·e·ter·ies A place for burying the dead; a graveyard. [Middle English cimiterie, from Old French cimitiere, from Medieval Latin cimitērium, from Late Latin coemētērium, from Greek koimētērion, from koimān, to put to sleep; see kei-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
cemetery
place set apart for burial or entombment of the dead. Reflecting geography, religious beliefs, social attitudes, and aesthetic and sanitary considerations, cemeteries may be simple or elaborate-built with a grandeur that overshines the community of the living. They may also be regarded as "holy fields" or taboo areas. In countries such as Japan and Mexico, cemeteries are festival places on certain occasions set aside to honour the dead. In other countries and among other religious groups, they are simple and stark and generally shunned.
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