cemetery
Americannoun
plural
cemeteriesnoun
Etymology
Origin of cemetery
1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin coemētērium < Greek koimētḗrion a sleeping place, equivalent to koimē- (variant stem of koimân to put to sleep) + -tērion suffix of locality
Compare meaning
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Explanation
A cemetery is the land used for burials. If you are 11 and you purchase a plot in a cemetery, you are planning too far ahead. Cemetery comes all the way from the Greek work koimētērion, which means "sleeping place." But the sleep you do in cemeteries is an eternal one. Cemeteries can often be found near churches, or in big parks outside of cities, usually gated off because the ground has been consecrated, or blessed. Sometimes we use cemetery metaphorically. The sea is a cemetery for shipwrecked sailors, just as a junk shop might be a cemetery for old shoes.
Vocabulary lists containing cemetery
Memorial Day Words
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List 5
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 30–November 5, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Elias became a mayor in the village for more than a decade, and his family members are buried in its cemetery.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Bishop’s mother and sister also are buried at the cemetery.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
The arrangement of burials at the site raises the possibility that Tinshemet Cave served as a dedicated burial area or even an early cemetery.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026
And Andrea's grandparents, and in-laws are buried in the peaceful village cemetery.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
He learned she was American when she called out her destination, a London cemetery.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
