Historical Funeral Practices

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 a solemn piece of music played during a funeral procession

• The soldiers solemnly played the dead march as they carried the fallen comrade's casket.
• We could hear the dead march playing in the distance during the military funeral.
• The sound of the dead march always gives me chills, man.
• The project's failure felt like a dead march towards defeat.