feretory en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English feretory, fertre, feretre, et al., from Anglo-Norman fertre, from Latin feretrum (“bier, funeral litter”), from Ancient Greek φέρετρον (phéretron), from the verb φέρω (phérō, “to carry”). Doublet of feretrum.
Meanings
-
A receptacle that houses relics of saints.
His remains were placed inside a new and rich feretory, on a platform behind the high altar.
2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 578:
- An area of a church where relics are kept.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| feretry | alternative | lexicographic | |
| feretories | Number=Plur | lexicographic |