Leichenhaus

Borrowed from German Leichenhaus, from Leiche (“corpse”) +‎ -n- +‎ Haus (“house”).

Leichenhaus (plural Leichenhauses)

1. (historical) A heated space with an attendant, where dead bodies were kept until they showed signs of decomposition, ensuring that a live person would not be buried; a waiting mortuary.
   • 1894, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, From Ponkapog to Pesth, page 35:

     The Leichenhaus is comprised of three large chambers or salons, in which the dead are placed upon raised couches and surrounded by flowers.

   • 2007, John Klima, Jeff VanderMeer, Elizabeth Hand, Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories, page 57:

     “Welcome to the Hillmont Leichenhaus,” said the attendant in a tired monotone. “Our Leichenhaus was built by the Society for the Prevention of Premature Burial, Hillmont branch. […] "

   • 2019, Caitlin Doughty, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs: Big questions from tiny mortals about death, page 42:

     Just be glad you're not an attendant at the Liechenhaus.

Leiche (“corpse”) +‎ -n- +‎ Haus (“house”)

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪ̯çn̩ˌhaʊ̯s/

• Audio

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• Hyphenation: Lei‧chen‧haus

Leichenhaus n (strong, genitive Leichenhauses, plural Leichenhäuser)

1. morgue, mortuary

   Synonym: Leichenhalle

• “Leichenhaus” in Duden online