morgue

play

noun \ ˈmȯrg \

Definition of morgue

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

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Examples of morgue in a Sentence

old news stories found in a newspaper morgue

Recent Examples of morgue from the Web

The postgame locker room has felt like a morgue; the Colts, beaten so soundly, didn’t have a whole lot to offer in terms of an explanation.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Has Colts receiver Phillip Dorsett done enough to keep his job?," 27 Aug. 2017
Nearly 900 names are on record at the local morgue, of bodies pulled mostly from the Old City since June 24, an official there said.

— aaso ameen schwan, Washington Post, "After ‘victory’ over ISIS, Mosul discovers the cost: Homes were turned into graves.," 23 Aug. 2017
And, as the bodies continue to fill the overloaded morgue, there is a massive public health crisis in the offing.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "Ellen Pao On Sexism and Inclusion In Tech," 22 Aug. 2017
Daniel Tucker tells The Daily News of New York that his son Jared Tucker's body was identified by his wife at the morgue Friday.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Latest Updates on Spain Terror Attacks," 18 Aug. 2017
The water can be bath-tub-like warm on the first top few inches, and morgue-like chilly from there on down and into the dark.

— cnt editors, CNT, "Why Summers Are Best Spent by Lakes, Not Oceans," 7 Aug. 2017
Surely these stories were brought forth by more than mere hermits, spinsters or wives with no regular access to pathology labs or the morgue?

— janine barchas, Washington Post, "Jane Austen is a fraud," 18 July 2017
Often, the only thing separating whether an overdose victim goes to the hospital instead of the morgue is a dose of naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.

— tim craig, nicole lewis, Alaska Dispatch News, "Communities in anguish over reviving opioid addicts," 16 July 2017
What was left of the dead was brought back to Khe Sanh's temporary morgue, where Pipes and others went about the grisly task of identifying the dead.

— michael e. ruane, chicagotribune.com, "Marked dead in Vietnam, Marine endures a long journey back to life," 8 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'morgue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of morgue

French

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First Known Use: 1795

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MORGUE Defined for English Language Learners

morgue

play

noun

Definition of morgue for English Language Learners

: a place where the bodies of dead people are kept until they are buried or cremated
: a place in the editorial offices of a newspaper, magazine, etc., where old articles and other documents are kept

Medical Dictionary

morgue

play

noun \ ˈmȯ(ə)rg \

medical Definition of morgue

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

Law Dictionary

morgue

play

noun \ ˈmȯrg \

legal Definition of morgue

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

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