n.
Pronunciation: ˌ la-z ə - ' re-( ˌ )t ō
Variant: or laz · a · ret \ - ' ret \ also laz · a · rette \ - ' ret \
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -rettos or -rets also -rettes
Etymology: Italian lazzaretto, alteration of Nazaretto, quarantine station in Venice, from Santa Maria di Nazareth, church on the island where it was located
Date: 1549
1 usually lazaretto : an institution (as a hospital) for those with contagious diseases
2 : a building or a ship used for detention in quarantine
3 usually lazaret or lazarette : a space in a ship between decks used as a storeroom