leprosarium en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌlɛprəˈsɛɹi.əm/ (General-American)
- /ˌlɛprə(ʊ)ˈsɛəɹi.əm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin leprōsārium, from leprōsus (“leprous”) + -ārium (“-ary: building related to”). Doublet of leprosery.
Meanings
-
An isolated building or community used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.
In the middle of the twelfth century, France had more than 2,000 leprosariums
1971, José Barchilon, introduction to Madness & Civilization"I don't understand it. We've been playing real well up to now." "We've been playing leprosariums and barber's colleges."
1972, Don DeLillo, End Zone, page 58:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| leprosaria | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| leprosariums | Number=Plur | lexicographic |