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ossuary - 4 dictionary results

os⋅su⋅ar⋅y

[osh-oo-er-ee, os-]
–noun, plural -ar⋅ies.
a place or receptacle for the bones of the dead.
Also, ossuarium.


Origin:
1650–60; < LL ossuārium, var. of ossārium, equiv. to oss- (s. of os) bone + -ārium -ary
os·su·ar·y   (ŏsh'ōō-ěr'ē, ŏs'yōō-)   
n.   pl. os·su·ar·ies
A container or receptacle, such as an urn or a vault, for holding the bones of the dead.

[Late Latin ossuārium, from neuter of Latin ossuārius, of bones, from os, oss-, bone; see ost- in Indo-European roots.]

Ossuary

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.

ossuary 
1658, "an urn for the bones of the dead," from L.L. ossuarium "charnel house," from L. os "bone" (see osseous) on model of mortuarium.
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