lazar house
- noun
- /ˈleɪzər haʊs/
- Archaic
- Outcasts suffering from leprosy were sent to the local lazar house for care.
Examples
-
In medieval Europe, a lazar house was often located on the outskirts of town.
-
They restored the old lazar house as a historical monument to early medicine.
-
The ancient lazar house was located on the outskirts of the village.
-
Many patients were treated at the lazar house during the outbreak.
-
In medieval Europe, a lazar house was often located on the outskirts of town to isolate those with infectious diseases.
-
Outcasts suffering from leprosy were sent to the local lazar house for care and treatment.
-
Many patients were treated at the lazar house during the leprosy outbreak in the 14th century.
Synonyms
A hospital that treats people with leprosy and keeps them separate from others
A place where sick people are kept to stop a disease from spreading
A hospital where people with contagious diseases are kept separate
A hospital that keeps people with contagious diseases away from others
A place where people with contagious diseases are kept and cared for
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a hospital/place for people with leprosy' is directly derivable from 'lazar' (a person suffering from leprosy) + 'house' (a building), so the compound transparently denotes a dwelling or institution for lazars. Though archaic, the composition follows obvious semantic logic and has parallels in other languages (e.g., leper house, lazaretto), so a learner who knows both constituents would infer the meaning.
Etymology
Lazar house may come from the Bible name Lazarus; people with leprosy were often called lazars, so a lazar house was literally a house for them. That's why it came to mean 'a hospital for people with leprosy'.