charnel

noun

char·​nel ˈchär-nᵊl How to pronounce charnel (audio)
: a building or chamber in which bodies or bones are deposited

called also charnel house

charnel adjective

Examples of charnel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kfar Aza, a kibbutz close to the separation barrier with Gaza, was burned nearly to the ground: a charnel house. Joshua Leifer, The New York Review of Books, 28 Oct. 2023 Kfar Aza, a kibbutz close to the separation barrier with Gaza, has been burned to the ground, a charnel house of mangled corpses. Joshua Leifer, The New York Review of Books, 12 Oct. 2023 The senseless charnel houses of Verdun and the Somme found their match in Bakhmut. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023 Syrian butcher Bashar al-Assad, a key Iranian client, might be brought in from the cold and deemed a legitimate actor, twelve years into his run atop the largest charnel house in the world. The Editors, National Review, 13 Mar. 2023 Ukraine remains a charnel house while other areas — the Persian Gulf, the Korean peninsula, the Taiwan Strait — may erupt at any time. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 4 Mar. 2023 Above their heads: a charnel house of endangered trees. Scientific American, 15 Dec. 2021 Here, the passion Pearl feels is more charnel than carnal. Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Sep. 2022 What lay on the pillow was a charnel-house, a heap of pus and blood, a shovelful of putrid flesh. Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'charnel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French carnel, charnel, probably alteration of charner, from Medieval Latin carnarium, from Latin carn-, caro flesh — more at carnal

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of charnel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near charnel

Cite this Entry

“Charnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charnel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

charnel

noun
char·​nel ˈchärn-ᵊl How to pronounce charnel (audio)
: a building or chamber in which dead bodies or bones are deposited
charnel adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on charnel

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