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

He’s seen mass graves in Ukraine, morgues in Syria, and the devastation in southern Israel following the October 7th attacks. —Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025

Following the strike, families gathered in the morgue of Al-Aqsa Hospital to pray over the bodies of those killed, laid across the floor. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025

The next day, video recorded by an NBC News’ crew on the ground outside the morgue in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City showed Yaqeen’s grandfather Ammar Shalah, 50, holding her body wrapped in a white sheet — pristine except for patches of blood. —Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 9 July 2025

At morgues, detention centers, and an airbase, Saman captured evidence of torture and repression in black-and-white. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 May 2025

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