Vocabulary for Funerals and Burial

Vocabulary for Funerals and Burial

ashes (noun) the substance that remains after a person’s body has been cremated (=burned after death)

bier (noun) a wooden structure for putting a coffin (=a container for a dead body) on

box (noun) a coffin for a dead body

burial (noun) the process of putting a dead body into a grave in the ground at a funeral

bury (verb) to put someone’s dead body in the ground during a funeral ceremony

casket (noun) a coffin for a dead body

coffin (noun) a long box in which a dead person is buried

cortège (noun) a line of people and cars taking part in a funeral

remains (noun) ashes that are left after cremation

cremate (verb) to burn the body of a dead person

crematorium (noun) a building where the bodies of dead people are cremated

dirge (noun) a slow sad song often sung at a funeral

disinter (verb) to dig a dead body out of the ground

embalm (verb) to preserve a dead body using chemicals. A person who does this as a job is called an embalmer

entomb (verb) to put a dead person in a tomb (=an underground room)

epitaph (noun) a short piece of writing that honours a dead person, especially one written on their grave

eulogy (noun) a speech at a funeral about the person who has died

executor (noun) someone who arranges for the instructions of a dead person’s will to be followed

exhume (verb) to remove a dead person’s body from where it is buried, especially in order to find out how they died

funeral (noun) a ceremony that takes place after someone dies, usually including a religious ceremony, and the formal process of taking the body to the place where it is buried or cremated

funeral (noun) relating to a funeral

gravedigger (noun) someone whose job is to dig graves

mortuary (noun) a place where a dead body is kept

mourner (noun) someone who is at a funeral, especially a relative or close friend of the dead person

mourning (noun) the process or ceremony of expressing great sadness because someone has died

mummify (verb) to preserve a dead body by treating it with special oils and wrapping it in long narrow pieces of cloth to prevent it from decaying

pallbearer (noun) someone who helps to carry a coffin at a funeral

pyre (noun) a high pile of wood for burning a dead body in a funeral ceremony

repose (verb) to be buried in a particular place

shroud (noun) a piece of cloth that is wrapped around a dead body before it is buried

shroud (verb) to wrap a dead body in a piece of cloth

undertaker (noun) someone whose job is to make arrangements for funerals

urn (noun) a container for the ashes of a dead person after the body has been burnt

wreath (noun) a circle of flowers or leaves that you put on a grave to show that you are remembering the dead person

cremation (noun)

exhumation (noun)

mummification (noun)

a letter/message/book of condolence (noun) a letter that you write or a book that you write in to show that you are sorry that someone has died

burial at sea a funeral ceremony that takes place on a ship, in which the dead person’s body is dropped into the sea

lay someone to rest (verb) to bury someone’s body in a ceremony after they have died

lie in state (verb) if the dead body of an important person lies in state, it is put in a public place for people to go and look at

pay your (last) respects (to someone) (verb) to go to someone’s funeral