A columbarium (/ˌkɒləmˈbɛəri.əm/;[1] pl. columbaria) is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns (those holding a deceased’s cremated remains), but can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin “columba” (dove) and, originally, solely referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons called a dovecote.