Graveyard Terminology

noun a stone placed at the foot of a grave as a marker or memorial

• The footstone of the grave was engraved with the deceased's name and dates.
• I tripped over the footstone in the cemetery because I wasn't paying attention.
• I stubbed my toe on that dang footstone in the graveyard.
• The footstone of the project was the final presentation, marking its completion.

noun a stone that is placed at the head of a grave to mark the site

• The headstone was engraved with the deceased's name and dates of birth and death.
• We placed flowers on grandma's headstone for her birthday.
• I can't believe someone would vandalize a headstone like that.
• The abandoned building stood as a headstone of the city's once-thriving industrial past.

noun a stone marker placed over a grave

• The tombstone was intricately carved with the deceased's name and dates of birth and death.
• I visited my grandfather's tombstone yesterday and left some flowers.
• Let's go check out that old tombstone in the cemetery, it's supposed to be haunted!
• The abandoned building stood as a tombstone for the neighborhood's once-thriving economy.