COLUMBARIUM (columbaria)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: columbaria   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does columbarium mean? 

• COLUMBARIUM (noun)
  The noun COLUMBARIUM has 3 senses:

1. a birdhouse for pigeons

2. a niche for a funeral urn containing the ashes of the cremated dead

3. a sepulchral vault or other structure having recesses in the walls to receive cinerary urns

  Familiarity information: COLUMBARIUM used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COLUMBARIUM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A birdhouse for pigeons

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

columbarium; columbary; dovecote

Hypernyms ("columbarium" is a kind of...):

birdhouse (a shelter for birds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A niche for a funeral urn containing the ashes of the cremated dead

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cinerarium; columbarium

Hypernyms ("columbarium" is a kind of...):

niche; recess (an enclosure that is set back or indented)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sepulchral vault or other structure having recesses in the walls to receive cinerary urns

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("columbarium" is a kind of...):

burial vault; vault (a burial chamber (usually underground))