lich-house
Definition
- Noun:
- A mortuary or funeral home: "lich-house" refers to a building where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation; a mortuary. The term is archaic and primarily historical.
Usage Examples
- (The building where bodies are kept.)
- (A historical mortuary building.)
Advanced Usage
- In historical contexts: "lich-house" is often used in discussions of medieval funeral practices or architecture.
- The lich-house at the old parish church still stands, though it is no longer used. (The historical mortuary building.)
Variants and Related Words
Lich (n): a corpse or dead body (archaic); also used in fantasy to refer to an undead creature.
- The old tale spoke of a lich rising from its grave. (A dead body or undead being.)
Lichgate (n): a roofed gate at the entrance to a churchyard, traditionally used as a shelter for a coffin during a funeral.
- The mourners paused under the lichgate before entering the church. (A covered gate for funeral processions.)
Synonyms
- Mortuary: a building or room where dead bodies are kept.
- Funeral home: a business that prepares bodies for burial or cremation and holds funerals.
- Charnel house: a building where dead bodies or bones are stored (often historical).
Related Idioms
- No common idioms are associated with "lich-house" due to its specific and archaic nature.
Notes
- This word is largely obsolete in modern English, replaced by terms like "mortuary" or "funeral home." It appears primarily in historical texts, literature, or discussions of medieval architecture.