Phrase guide

charnel house

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crypt, ossuary

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: vault

2

noun

Meaning 2

a vault or building where corpses or bones are deposited

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: charnel

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: vault, burial vault

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Beinhaus — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • German: Karner — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • German: Ossuarium — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • Latin: ossuārium — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • Macedonian: косту́рница (kostúrnica) — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • Polish: karner — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • Romanian: osuar — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored
  • Spanish: osario — vault or other building in which the bones of the dead are stored