Adjacent Words

Funeral definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FU'NERAL, n. [L. funus, from funale, a cord, a torch, from funis, a rope or cord, as torches were made of cords, and were used in burials among the Romans.]
1. Burial; the ceremony of buying a dead body; the solemnization of interment; obsequies.
2. The procession of persons attending the burial of the dead.
3. Burial; interment.
FU'NERAL, a. Pertaining to burial; used at the interment of the dead; as funeral rites, honors or ceremonies; a funeral torch; funeral feast or games; funeral oration.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated; "hundreds of people attended his funeral"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin funeralis, from Latin funer-, funus funeral (n.) Date: 14th century 1. of, relating to, or constituting a funeral 2. funereal 2 II. noun Etymology: Middle English funerelles (plural), from Middle French funerailles (plural), from Medieval Latin funeralia (plural), from Late Latin, neuter plural of funeralis, adjective Date: circa 1512 1. the observances held for a dead person usually before burial or cremation 2. chiefly dialect a funeral sermon 3. a funeral procession 4. an end of something's existence 5. a matter of concern to one ; worry <if you flunk, it's your funeral>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 a the burial or cremation of a dead person with its ceremonies. b a burial or cremation procession. c US a burial or cremation service. 2 sl. one's (usu. unpleasant) concern (that's your funeral). --attrib.adj. of or used etc. at a funeral (funeral oration). Phrases and idioms: funeral director an undertaker. funeral parlour (US home) an establishment where the dead are prepared for burial or cremation. funeral pile (or pyre) a pile of wood etc. on which a corpse is burnt. funeral urn an urn holding the ashes of a cremated body. Etymology: ME f. OF funeraille f. med.L funeralia neut. pl. of LL funeralis f. L funus -eris funeral: (adj.) OF f. L funeralis

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Funeral Fu"ner*al, a. [LL. funeralis. See Funeral, n.] Per. taining to a funeral; used at the interment of the dead; as, funeral rites, honors, or ceremonies. --Shak. Funeral pile, a structure of combustible material, upon which a dead body is placed to be reduced to ashes, as part of a funeral rite; a pyre. -- Fu"ner*al*ly, adv. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Funeral Fu"ner*al, n. [LL. funeralia, prop. neut. pl. of funeralis of a funeral, fr. L. funus, funeris, funeral: cf. F. fun['e]railles.] 1. The solemn rites used in the disposition of a dead human body, whether such disposition be by interment, burning, or otherwise; esp., the ceremony or solemnization of interment; obsequies; burial; -- formerly used in the plural. King James his funerals were performed very solemnly in the collegiate church at Westminster. --Euller. 2. The procession attending the burial of the dead; the show and accompaniments of an interment. ``The long funerals.'' --Pope. 3. A funeral sermon; -- usually in the plural. [Obs.] Mr. Giles Lawrence preached his funerals. --South.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(funerals) A funeral is the ceremony that is held when the body of someone who has died is buried or cremated. His funeral will be on Thursday at Blackburn Cathedral... He was given a state funeral. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Burying was among the Jews the only mode of disposing of corpses (Gen. 23:19; 25:9; 35:8, 9, etc.).

The first traces of burning the dead are found in 1 Sam. 31:12. The burning of the body was affixed by the law of Moses as a penalty to certain crimes (Lev. 20:14; 21:9).

To leave the dead unburied was regarded with horror (1 Kings 13:22; 14:11; 16:4; 21:24, etc.).

In the earliest times of which we have record kinsmen carried their dead to the grave (Gen. 25:9; 35:29; Judg. 16:31), but in later times this was done by others (Amos 6:16).

Immediately after decease the body was washed, and then wrapped in a large cloth (Acts 9:37; Matt. 27:59; Mark 15:46). In the case of persons of distinction, aromatics were laid on the folds of the cloth (John 19:39; comp. John 12:7).

As a rule the burial (q.v.) took place on the very day of the death (Acts 5:6, 10), and the body was removed to the grave in an open coffin or on a bier (Luke 7:14). After the burial a funeral meal was usually given (2 Sam. 3:35; Jer. 16:5, 7; Hos. 9:4).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fu'-ner-al.

See BURIAL.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Obsequies, exequies, burial, interment, burial rites, funeral solemnities, funeral rites.

Moby Thesaurus

burial, burial at sea, burying, caravan, cavalcade, cinerary, column, cortege, cremation, dead march, deep six, dirge, dirgelike, dismal, dress parade, entombment, epitaphic, exequial, exequies, feral, flyover, funebrial, funebrious, funebrous, funeral procession, funerary, funereal, inhumation, interment, last post, line, march past, mortuary, motorcade, mournful, muffled drum, mule train, necrological, obituary, obsequial, obsequies, pack train, parade, pomp, procession, promenade, review, sepulchral, sepulture, skimmington, stream, string, taps, train