Columbarium

Quick meaning: Columbarium is a noun meaning A pigeonhole in such a dovecote.

Meaning

A pigeonhole in such a dovecote.

More Meanings

1. A building, a vault or a similar place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns containing cremated remains.
2. A niche in such a building for housing urns.
3. (historical) A columbary, especially a large and architecturally impressive one for housing a large colony of pigeons or doves, such as those in ancien régime France.

Example Sentences

Meronym: pigeonhole

Near-synonyms: dovecote, pigeon loft

The columbarium (vaults lined with recesses for cinerary urns) in the form of a grotto (a cave-like structure) is the centerpiece of the Elks plot.

Doves were culticly protected; great towers were built for them in which they could nest; they were called columbaria (columba is the Latin word for dove).

Word Forms

• columbariums
• columbaria

Synonyms for columbarium

Depending on context, synonyms include dovecote, cinerarium, birdhouse.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include dovecote, birdhouse, pigeonhole, pigeon-hole, cellarium, mausoleum.

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