ossuary
noun
os·su·ary
ˈä-shə-ˌwer-ē 
-syÉ™-,
-sÉ™-
plural ossuaries
: a depository for the bones of the dead
Examples of ossuary in a Sentence
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The careful arrangement of ossuaries within the dolmen suggests communal burial practices and sophisticated ceremonial planning, providing archaeologists with invaluable insight into societal structures in prehistoric Iberia.
—
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
Depictions like these have only ever been found on ossuaries (chambers for storing human remains), and even then, those paintings usually only show two priests.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025
The city’s extensive labyrinth of catacombs was nearby as well, underground ossuaries crammed full of the skeletal remains of millions of Parisians.
—Anelise Chen
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Image Most of the mausoleums still belong in private hands; if family leases are not renewed, remains are discreetly removed to the ossuary.
—Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 May 2025
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Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
Depictions like these have only ever been found on ossuaries (chambers for storing human remains), and even then, those paintings usually only show two priests.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025
The city’s extensive labyrinth of catacombs was nearby as well, underground ossuaries crammed full of the skeletal remains of millions of Parisians.
—Anelise Chen
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Image Most of the mausoleums still belong in private hands; if family leases are not renewed, remains are discreetly removed to the ossuary.
—Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ossuary
Cite this Entry
“Ossuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ossuary. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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