1. A roofed gateway at the entrance to a churchyard, traditionally used as a shelter for a coffin before burial.
Usage: Also spelled 'lych gate' or 'lich gate'.; Primarily British.; The term comes from Old English 'lich' meaning 'corpse'.

Examples

• The village church had a beautiful stone lychgate dating back to the 15th century.
• Mourners gathered under the lychgate before the funeral procession began.
• The lychgate provided shelter from the rain as the pallbearers waited.
• Many English parishes feature a lychgate as part of their churchyard entrance.
• The wooden lychgate was recently restored by the church community.