morgue

noun

ˈmȯrg 

1

: a place where the bodies of dead persons are kept temporarily pending identification or release for burial or autopsy

2

: a collection of reference works and files of reference material in a newspaper or news periodical office

Examples of morgue in a Sentence

old news stories found in a newspaper morgue

Recent Examples on the Web

Haitian judicial authorities have said that 25 or 26 people were killed, based on visits to two morgues. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

The scale of the disaster has proved challenging for authorities, with morgues overwhelmed by a large number of unidentified remains. — Andrew Jones, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026

Khanal said the government has sought specialized support from Nepal's neighbors in tunnel rescue, survivor-detection technology, rapid forensic and DNA analysis, as well as morgue refrigerators. — Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Khanal said the government has sought specialized support from Nepal’s neighbors in tunnel rescue, survivor-detection technology, rapid forensic and DNA analysis, as well as morgue refrigerators. — Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for morgue

• bourg
• faubourg

Kids Definition

morgue

noun

ˈmȯ(ə)rg 

1

: a place where the bodies of the dead are kept temporarily until they are identified or released for burial

2

: a department of a newspaper where reference material is filed

Medical Definition

morgue

noun

ˈmȯ(ə)rg 

: a place where the bodies of dead persons are kept temporarily pending identification or release for burial or autopsy

Legal Definition

morgue

noun

ˈmȯrg 

: a place where the bodies of persons found dead are kept until identified and claimed by relatives or released for burial or autopsy