lych-gate

See also: lychgate

English

Alternative forms

• lychgate, lych gate, lichgate, lich-gate, lich gate, litchgate, litch-gate, litch gate, lytchgate, lytch-gate, lytch gate, lykegate, lyke-gate, lyke gate

Etymology

From lich (“corpse”) +‎ gate.

Noun

lych-gate (plural lych-gates)

1. A churchyard gateway with a roof, under which a corpse was laid during a funeral to await the arrival of the clergyman.
   • 1851, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, The Moorland Cottage‎^[1], HTML edition, Project Gutenburg, published 2004:

     If you take the turn to the left, after you pass the lyke-gate at Combehurst Church, …

   • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 68:

     Church Hill climbs steeply to All Saints, with its lych-gate at the entrance to the churchyard.

Related terms

• lych
• lychfield
• lychway

 

Translations

churchyard gateway

• French: porche de cimetière m
• German: Friedhofstor (de) n
• Icelandic: líkhlið n
• Irish: urtheach reilige m
• Swedish: stiglucka (sv) c, stigport c
• Thai: ซุ้มประตูสุสาน (súm bprà-dtoo sù-săan)