columbaria

Variant of columbarium

noun pl. columbaria

  1. ☆ a vault with niches for urns containing the ashes of cremated bodies
  2. such a niche

Origin: L, lit., dovecote < columba, dove, orig., gray bird < IE base *kel-, *kāl-, grayish color > Gr chelainos, black

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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