Funeral Terminology

noun the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance

• The ash from the fire was carefully collected and disposed of.
• I accidentally dropped my cigarette ash on the carpet.
• Let's go smoke some ash behind the school.
• The relationship was left in ruins, like a pile of ash after a fire.

noun the place where a dead body is buried

• The burial ceremony was held at the local cemetery.
• We attended the burial of our neighbor's pet hamster.
• I heard there was a burial party at the old abandoned house last night.
• The burial of his hopes and dreams left him feeling lost and defeated.

verb to place a dead body in a grave or tomb

• The archaeologists carefully excavated the ancient tomb to uncover and study the burial artifacts.
• I need to bury this secret deep down and never speak of it again.
• Let's bury the hatchet and move on from this argument.
• She tried to bury her feelings for him, but they kept resurfacing.

noun a coffin or burial case

• The casket was adorned with beautiful flowers for the funeral service.
• I can't believe how expensive that casket was for the burial.
• That casket is way too fancy for my taste.
• The old house was like a casket, holding memories of the past.

noun a raised structure on which a body lies in state during a funeral

• The elaborate catafalque was constructed for the state funeral of the esteemed leader.
• They set up a fancy catafalque for the funeral service.
• Check out the cool catafalque they built for the big shot's funeral.
• The abandoned factory stood like a catafalque of the once thriving industry.

noun the act or process of reducing something to ashes through burning

• The cineration process is carefully monitored to ensure complete combustion of the remains.
• They're planning to have a cineration ceremony for their loved one.
• I heard they're having a cineration party for their pet.
• The intense heat of the argument felt like a cineration of their friendship.

noun a solemn procession, especially for a funeral

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The cortege proceeded slowly through the streets, with mourners following behind.
• The long line of cars in the cortege made it difficult for other drivers to pass.
• The cortege was a real traffic jam, man.
• The cortege of memories from her childhood flooded back as she walked through the old neighborhood.

noun the act of cremating

• The family chose cremation as the method of disposition for their loved one's remains.
• I heard that they're planning on cremation instead of a traditional burial.
• Cremation is becoming more popular as people look for more eco-friendly options.
• The artist's creativity was like a cremation of old ideas, making way for new inspiration.

verb to preserve a dead body by treating it with preservatives to prevent decay

• The funeral director explained the process of how they embalm bodies before the viewing.
• I heard they embalm bodies to preserve them for the funeral.
• I can't believe they embalm bodies, that's so creepy.
• She wanted to embalm her memories of that summer so they would never fade.

noun the process of preserving a dead body by treating it with chemicals, drugs, or other substances to prevent decay

• The process of embalming is commonly used to preserve a body for a viewing or funeral service.
• Have you ever wondered what embalming actually entails?
• I heard they're going to embalm the party scene with some killer music.
• The artist's use of color embalms the painting with emotion.

verb to bury (a dead body) in the ground

• The archaeologists were careful not to disturb the graves as they worked to inhume the ancient remains.
• The burial ceremony will take place tomorrow as we inhume our beloved family member.
• I heard they're going to inhume the evidence to cover up the crime.
• The artist wanted to inhume their emotions in their latest painting, creating a powerful and emotional piece.

noun the burial of a dead body

• The interment of the deceased will take place at the cemetery this afternoon.
• The interment ceremony will be held at the graveyard tomorrow.
• They're laying him to rest at the cemetery for the interment.
• The interment of the old traditions marked the beginning of a new era.

noun a cloth spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb

verb to become less appealing or interesting

• The pall of smoke hung over the city as the firefighters battled the blaze.
• There was a pall of silence in the room after the argument.
• The party was a total pall, nobody was having any fun.
• The news of the company's bankruptcy cast a pall over the employees.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, indicating manner, time, place, or degree

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The deceased was lying in repose at the funeral home, surrounded by flowers and candles.
• I saw the body lying in repose at the viewing yesterday.
• Yo, did you check out the body lying in repose at the wake?
• The old traditions of chivalry and honor lay in repose, forgotten by modern society.

noun a place where a dead person's body is cremated

adjective relating to or characteristic of a crematorium

• The crematory is a facility where bodies are cremated.
• My uncle's ashes were scattered at the crematory.
• Let's meet at the crematory to say our final goodbyes.
• The failed project was sent to the business crematory to be forgotten.

noun a Latin phrase meaning 'to the fathers' or 'to the ancestors'

• The criminal was sentenced to death and was soon sent ad patres.
• The old car finally gave out and went ad patres.
• I heard that old rumor about him finally went ad patres.
• After a long battle with illness, he finally went ad patres.