charnel
[tʃɑːɹnəl]
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.05 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A repository for dead bodies.
adj
Of or relating to a charnel, deathlike, sepulchral.
Example Sentences
- "When Lazarus left his charnel-cave, And home to Mary’s house return’d, Was this demanded—if he yearn’d To hear her weeping by his grave?"
- "He murmured to himself with dull despair, Here Faith died, poisoned by this charnel air."
- "The knight did as he was desired, and broke his spear twice on the very charnel of his helmet. It being now Sir William Cecil's turn, each knight charged his spear directly towards the other's head, and galloping on, both lances[…]"
- "1 Are these the charnels, or pinnacles of helmets? See Meyrick, […]"
- "[page 78:] […] knight being struck on the charnel, a device for attaching the helm to the breastplate […] [page 497:] Most of the knights at this passage of arms were wearing sallets with bevors or armets with wrappers. Here we have a rare exception, since reference to the charnel indicates that Joan de Camós is wearing a helm. Given the effect of this particular spear stroke, it can be inferred that he was struck high on the charnel, near the neck, which would have made him choke or gag."
Etymology
From Middle English charnel, from Old French charnel, carnel, from Late Latin carnāle (“graveyard”), from Latin carnālis, or possibly an alteration of Anglo-Norman charner, from Medieval Latin carnārium (“charnel”). Displaced Middle English fleshusse, from Old English flǣsċhūs.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: charnel, carnāle, carnālis, charner, carnārium, cardinālis
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: [tʃɑːɹnəl]
- British English: [tʃɑːnəl]
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
flaon