charnel
- noun
- /ˈtʃɑrnəl/
- Archaic
- As they explored the old cemetery, they stumbled upon a forgotten charnel house hidden among the trees.
- charnel house
Examples
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The archaeologists uncovered an ancient charnel house filled with human remains from centuries past.
-
To fashion any happiness within this charnel yard is,
Fiction book (1994) -
Centuries later, the area was used for a Byzantine charnel house and, later, for a tannery, the lined masonry vats of which are still preserved.
Academic text (2007) -
PHOTO (COLOR): At the western end of the Yenikapi excavations, archaeologists found a maze of ruins, including a multichamber late Byzantine charnel house and a portion of the early city wall.
Academic text (2007) -
Visitors to the historical site were shocked to learn about the purpose of the charnel house located nearby.
Synonyms
An underground room for holding the bodies of several people
An underground space for burying a coffin that protects it and holds family coffins
A building that holds bodies or bones of the dead
A building near a church where people's bones are kept
A room under a church used for burials or quiet prayer
Compounds
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Charnel comes from the root carn- meaning 'flesh', and long ago it was used for places connected to bodies. So a charnel is a building or vault where dead bodies or bones are kept, a literal place for the remains.