Meanings
plural orphanariums
- humorousrareAn orphanage.
He pulled Riddle into Hogwarts from the orphanarium where he was abusing the other kids and stealing their stuff.
2007, James Schrumpf, "Re: Follow-up Harry Potter chat-question", in alt.fan.harry-potter and rec.sport.football.college, Usenet4 more examples
And what of us who haven't got children of their own to beat ? ¶ Do we go without ? Or can you rent them from somewhere ? ¶ Hhmmmmmmm, time for a visit to the local orphanarium.
2001, Mark Morrison, “Re: DEAR LURKERS, PLEASE READ!”, in alt.tv.farscape (Usenet)I assume its better for Lizzie to birth a kid that she barely pays attention to, or for chen to birth one out that she drops off at teh orphanarium or for carol wo have twins despite her suicidal past and her inability to support them.....
2002 November 1, Rap, “Re: *Spoiler* - episode 11”, in alt.tv.er (Usenet)Not the “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” Tiny Tim (b. Herbert Khaury, who would later adopt the middle name “Buckingham”) or the Tinny Tim from the orphanarium of Futurama (1999–2003).
2006, Stephen Graham Jones, Demon Theory, MacAdam/Cage, →ISBN, page 256Instead of walking to the carnage like your average Mr. Rogers smoking a hash pipe, I dedicated a little something special to all the children back in the orphanarium.
2010, Matthew Collins, Geoffrey Collins, The Ultimate Zombie Hunter's Handbook, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 61
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Apparently from orphan + -arium. First attested in the American animated sitcom Futurama.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with orphanarium
Cite this entry
orphanarium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orphanarium
“orphanarium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orphanarium. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orphanarium,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orphanarium.
Source: orphanarium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.