# columbarium

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌkɒləmˈbɛəɹi.əm/

## Definitions
1. A large, sometimes architecturally impressive building for housing a large colony of pigeons or doves, particularly those of ancien regime France.
2. A pigeonhole in such a dovecote.
3. A building, a vault or a similar place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns containing cremated remains.
4. A niche in such a building for housing urns.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin columbārium, from columba (“pigeon”) + -ārium (“place for”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/columbarium