Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A covered gateway at the entrance to churchyards, erected to afford shelter for the coffin and mourners while they wait for the coming of the officiating clergyman. Also called
lich-gate .
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word corpse-gate.
Examples
-
At the entrance of the churchyard there is often a lich-gate, _i. e._ a corpse-gate, where the body may rest while the funeral procession is formed.
English Villages 1892
-
In the _Glossary of Architecture_ we read "_Lich-gate_, or corpse-gate, _leichengang_, Germ., from the Ang. - Sax. _lich_, a corpse, and _geat_, a gate; a shed over the entrance of a churchyard, beneath which the bearers sometimes paused when bringing a corpse for interment.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.