purgatory

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Roman Catholic Church A state in which the souls of those who have died in grace must expiate their sins.
2. n. A place or condition of suffering, expiation, or remorse: a purgatory of drug abuse.
3. adj. Tending to cleanse or purge.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory.
2. n. In the belief of Roman Catholics and others, a place of purgation in which the souls of those dying penitent are purified from venial sins, or undergo the temporal punishment which, after the guilt of mortal sin has been remitted, still remains to be endured by the sinner. It is not considered as a place of probation; for the ultimate salvation of those in purgatory is assured, and the impenitent are not received into purgatory. The souls in purgatory are supposed, however, to receive relief through the prayers of the faithful and through the sacrifice of the mass. The common belief in the Latin Church is that the purgatorial suffering is by fire; the Greek Church, however, does not determine its nature.
3. n. Any place or state of temporary suffering or oblivion.
4. n. A gorge or cleft between perpendicular or steeply inclined walls of rock. It is nearly the same as flume (used as a topographical word), except that localities called flumes in New England always have a stream of water running through them, which the purgatories have not.

Wiktionary

1. n. theology In Catholicism, the stage of the afterlife where souls suffer for their sins before they can enter heaven
2. n. any situation causing suffering

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory.
2. n. A state or place of purification after death; according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins
2. n. a temporary condition of torment or suffering