Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Nearby Entries
cemetery - 5 dictionary results

cem⋅e⋅ter⋅y

[sem-i-ter-ee]
–noun, plural -ter⋅ies.
an area set apart for or containing graves, tombs, or funeral urns, esp. one that is not a churchyard; burial ground; graveyard.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < LL coemētērium < Gk koimētrion 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

Cem"e*ter*y\, n.; pl. Cemeteries. [L. cemeterium, Gr. ? a sleeping chamber, burial place, fr. ? to put to sleep.] A place or ground set apart for the burial of the dead; a graveyard; a churchyard; a necropolis.
Language Translation for : cemetery
Spanish: cementerio,
German: der Friedhof,
Japanese: 共同墓地

cemetery 
1387, from O.Fr. cimetiere "graveyard," from L.L. coemeterium, from Gk. koimeterion "sleeping place, dormitory," from koiman "to put to sleep," keimai "I lie down," from PIE base *kei- "to lie, rest" (cf. Goth haims "village," O.E. ham "home, house, dwelling"). Early Christian writers were the first to use it for "burial ground."

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.

Learn more about cemetery with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Search another word or see cemetery on Thesaurus | Reference
>