CHARNEL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does charnel mean? 

• CHARNEL (noun)
  The noun CHARNEL has 1 sense:

1. a vault or building where corpses or bones are deposited

  Familiarity information: CHARNEL used as a noun is very rare.

• CHARNEL (adjective)
  The adjective CHARNEL has 1 sense:

1. gruesomely indicative of death or the dead

  Familiarity information: CHARNEL used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHARNEL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A vault or building where corpses or bones are deposited

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

charnel; charnel house

Hypernyms ("charnel" is a kind of...):

burial vault; vault (a burial chamber (usually underground))

• CHARNEL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gruesomely indicative of death or the dead

Synonyms:

charnel; ghastly; sepulchral

Context example:

the sepulchral darkness of the catacombs

Similar:

offensive (unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses)

 Context examples 

"Now," he continued, again addressing me, "I have received the pilgrim—a disguised deity, as I verily believe. Already it has done me good: my heart was a sort of charnel; it will now be a shrine."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

It may hate him who dares to scrutinise and expose—to rase the gilding, and show base metal under it—to penetrate the sepulchre, and reveal charnel relics: but hate as it will, it is indebted to him.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)