morgue

noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the morgue, Wanyonyi and Mwanga, Tiffany’s stepmother, faced their worst nightmare. Ian Wafula For Cnn, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 No family members have come forward to the morgue or contacted Peruvian authorities regarding his death at this time. Escher Walcott, People.com, 7 June 2025 At the police morgue, Cecilie identifies Ruby’s body, which is bloated from drowning. Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 16 May 2025 Judy Reyes stars as a nurse whose daughter dies at the age of 5 only to be brought back to life by a morgue technician (an unforgettable Marin Ireland) who has been experimenting with a daring new process. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for morgue

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of morgue was in 1795

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Morgue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morgue. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

morgue

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

Legal Definition

morgue

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

More from Merriam-Webster on morgue

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