morgue

noun

ˈmȯrg How to pronounce morgue (audio)
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.
Around that time, a body was moved out of a local morgue, and a coffin was burned. — Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 6 June 2026 My feet were my feet in the morgue and my eyes were the eyes of my son looking at the feet of his father. — Literary Hub, 29 May 2026 The morgue that serves La Guaira is makeshift—a white tent on a dock lined with body bags and coffins. — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 On an average night at the time, the morgue received 17 bodies. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 July 2026 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

Rhymes for morgue

See All Rhymes for morgue

Browse Nearby Words

Morgenthau
morgue
Moriah
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Morgue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morgue. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

morgue

noun
ˈmȯ(ə)rg How to pronounce morgue (audio)
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 How to pronounce morgue (audio)
: a place where the bodies of dead persons are kept temporarily pending identification or release for burial or autopsy

Legal Definition

morgue

noun
ˈmȯrg How to pronounce morgue (audio)
: 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

Nglish: Translation of morgue for Spanish Speakers

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