coffin corner
n.— «While Americans are now accustomed to institutionalized death, people in previous periods commonly died at home. Some Victorian-era town houses in New York even have their original “coffin corners,” the stairwell niches that enabled a coffin to be easily maneuvered down the stairs.» —“Some Buyers Regret Not Asking: Anyone Die Here?” by Stephanie Rosenbloom New York Times Apr. 30, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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