French Conversation · Level 71
60 words
French word
morgue
Pronunciation
IPA/mɔʁg/
Meaning
- feminine nounmorgue
Example
Ils ont emmené le corps à la morgue.
They took the body to the morgue.
More examples
La famille a réclamé des informations à la morgue.
The family asked the morgue for information.
Core concept
Cold, impassive stillness that can describe both a room for bodies and a person who keeps others at a distance.
Common phrases
la morgue de l'hôpital
the hospital's morgue
avoir de la morgue
be haughty
Similar words
funérarium: A facility for holding remains before a funeral or their transport.
chambre mortuaire: A designated room in a hospital or similar setting for holding remains temporarily.
crématorium: A facility used to cremate human remains.
Definition in French
Au sens figuré, froideur hautaine ; au sens propre, lieu où l'on conserve temporairement des corps.
Word origin
French morgue is linked to an older word for a haughty expression or manner, and its institutional sense arose from displaying unidentified bodies for recognition.
Usage tips
- In figurative use, avec morgue and avoir de la morgue describe a haughty manner, not a place.
Other meanings
- haughtinessnoun
Opposites
- humilitéhumilitynoun