Cemetery

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛm.ɪˌtɹi/

Definitions

1. A place where the bodies of dead people are buried or where graves and memorials are maintained
2. A location established for the interment of deceased individuals, commonly featuring gravestones and landscaped areas for contemplation
3. A designated area used for the burial of deceased persons, which typically includes tombstones and places for remembrance

Etymology: The Greek word behind "cemetery" meant "sleeping place." "Koimētērion" came from "koimaō," meaning "I put to sleep," and early Christians adopted it as a gentle name for the place where the dead rested until the resurrection. The image of death as sleep was central to their thinking, so the burial ground was literally a dormitory. The word passed through Late Latin as "coemeterium," then Medieval Latin "cimiterium," and Old French "cimitiere" before reaching English as "cimiterie" in Middle English. Along the way it displaced two older English terms: "charnel," which referred to a mass grave or charnel house, and "līctūn," an Old English compound that literally meant "body enclosure."

Synonyms: graveyard, burial ground, necropolis