Glossary of Funeral & Cremation Terms
Advance Planning – making arrangements for a funeral, memorial, ceremony or other service/plans prior to death. Advance Planning can involve simply recording one’s wishes (Pre-Planning), or making financial arrangements (Pre-Paying). Also known as “Pre-Need.” Talk to one of our Funeral Directors at contact us for more information on making arrangements in advance. For additional information, please visit our Preneed page.
Aftercare – one of many terms used to describe services available to family members after the death of a loved one. Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced is a free resource when you have questions or need assistance with anything from where to find a grief support group to applying for government-related benefits.
Alternative container – A container which does not meet the standards of a burial casket and is used to hold human remains for cremation. It is usually made of heavy cardboard or chipboard.
American Wilbert Vault – American Wilbert has been part of the Chicagoland burial vault or concrete outside containers tradition for over 125 years. Burials are steeped in tradition and are personal decisions that may be unique as the individual.
Apportionment – Dividing cremated remains into portions for separate disposition. For example, a set of cremated remains could be divided into three portions, with one portion placed in an urn in a columbarium, another portion scattered in a favorite place, and yet another carried in a locket.
Arrangement Conference – The meeting at the funeral home when funeral arrangements are made.
Arrangement Room – The funeral home room used by family members and the funeral director to make arrangements for the funeral service.
Artco Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Ashes – See cremated remains.
Aurora Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Autopsy – thorough inspection of a body after death by a forensic pathologist in order to determine the cause of death.
Batesville Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Basic Services – describes the basic services provided by Advance Planning – making arrangements for a funeral, memorial, ceremony or other service/plans prior to death. Advance Planning can involve simply recording one’s wishes (Pre-Planning), or making financial arrangements (Pre-Paying). Also known as “Pre-Need.” Talk to one of our Funeral Directors at contact us for more information on making arrangements in advance. For additional information, please visit our Preneed page.
Aftercare – one of many terms used to describe services available to family members after the death of a loved one. Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced is a free resource when you have questions or need assistance with anything from where to find a grief support group to applying for government-related benefits.
Alternative container – A container which does not meet the standards of a burial casket and is used to hold human remains for cremation. It is usually made of heavy cardboard or chipboard.
American Wilbert Vault – American Wilbert has been part of the Chicagoland burial vault or concrete outside containers tradition for over 125 years. Burials are steeped in tradition and are personal decisions that may be unique as the individual.
Apportionment – Dividing cremated remains into portions for separate disposition. For example, a set of cremated remains could be divided into three portions, with one portion placed in an urn in a columbarium, another portion scattered in a favorite place, and yet another carried in a locket.
Arrangement Conference – The meeting at the funeral home when funeral arrangements are made.
Arrangement Room – The funeral home room used by family members and the funeral director to make arrangements for the funeral service.
Artco Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Ashes – See cremated remains.
Aurora Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Autopsy – thorough inspection of a body after death by a forensic pathologist in order to determine the cause of death.
Batesville Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Basic Services – describes the basic services provided by Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced, transporting remains, coordinating funeral details, assisting with administrative tasks such as completing a death certificate, applying for benefits, etc. Also see “General Price List.”
Body Donation – donation of the entire body for purposes of medical science and education. It may be possible for a portion, or portions, of the body not used for study to be cremated and made available to a donor’s family.
Burial – Also interment. Placing human remains in a grave in the earth or in an underground tomb.
Burial Case – See Casket.
Burial Vault – see “Outer Burial Container.”
Burial Permit (or certificate) – Legal permission from local authorities for the burial to occur. It may also authorize cremation or removal of the remains to a distant place.
Burial Garments – Clothing made especially for the dead.
Burial Insurance – See funeral insurance.
Canopy – A portable canvas shelter used to cover the grave area during a burial. Also called a tent.
Casket – a rigid container designed for human remains. Usually constructed of wood, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or like material, it is often ornamented and lined with fabric. Sometimes called a burial case.
Casket coach – See Funeral coach.
Catafalque – A stand for holding the casket in state during visitation and the funeral service.
Cemetery – land reserved for graves (burials), tombs or funeral urns.
Cenotaph – An empty tomb, monument or plaque erected in memory of a person whose remains lie elsewhere.
Certified Death Certificate – A legal copy of the original death certificate, issued by local authorities at the request of family members, for the purposes of resolving the estate of deceased family member.
Chapel – A large room in a funeral home dedicated to holding funeral services.
Chapel Ceremony – a funeral or memorial ceremony.
Chicago Sun-Times – A resource for finding death notices.
Chicago Tribune – A resource for finding death notices.
Church Truck – Stand with wheels for holding casket during service at a church.
Clarksburg Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Closed Casket – describes a visitation or ceremony in which the body is in a closed casket, not available for viewing.
Coffin – An English-style, wedge-shaped casket, usually with 6 sides, a dated term.
Columbarium – A building or part of a building containing niches designed to hold and memorialize cremated remains.
Committal service – The final part of a funeral service during which the remains are buried or entombed.
Cortege – See Funeral Procession.
Cosmetology – Using cosmetics to restore a lifelike appearance to the deceased. usually done when there will be visitation.
Cremated Remains – Also called cremains or ashes. The portion of a body remaining after cremation. For an adult this is about 6-8 pounds of cremains.
Cremation – Reduction of the body to cremated remains by fire or intense heat.
Cremation Permit – A certificate issued by the local authority authorizing cremation of the deceased.
Crematory – A specially-designed retort / furnace / chamber for cremating human remains, or a building housing such a retort or furnace.
Crypt – Vault or room used for keeping remains.
Curtiss Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Death Benefits – when a loved one dies, survivors may be eligible for benefits from Social Security or the Veteran’s Administration.
Death Certificate – A legal document signed by a physician showing cause of death and other information about the deceased.
Death Notice – A paragraph in the relevant section of the newspaper informing people of a person’s death and giving those funeral details the survivors wish published. Most list the names of the deceased person’s close relatives.
Deceased – (1) To be dead. (2) The dead person.
Department of Veterans Affairs – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), established as an independent agency under the President by Executive Order 5398 on July 21, 1930, was elevated to Cabinet level on March 15, 1989 (Public Law No. 100-527). VA’s mission is to serve America’s Veterans and their families with dignity and compassion and to be their principal advocate in ensuring that they receive medical care, benefits, social support, and lasting memorials promoting the health, welfare, and dignity of all Veterans in recognition of their service to this Nation. VA comprises a Central Office, which is located in Washington, DC, and field facilities throughout the Nation administered by its three major line organizations: Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration. Services and benefits are provided through a nationwide network of 153 hospitals, 784 community-based outpatient clinics, 134 community living centers, 90 domiciliary residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 264 Vet Centers, 57 Veterans benefits regional offices, and 131 national cemeteries.
Direct Burial – a burial with no viewing or visitation, usually consisting of care, transportation and burial of remains. A ceremony may be held at the graveside.
Direct Cremation – cremation occurs without previous ceremony, viewing or visitation.
Disinter – Also Exhume. To dig up the remains from the burial place. This may occur when a family wishes to re-bury the remains in a family plot or move them to another cemetery.
Display room – The room in a funeral home or cemetery where caskets, urns, memorial plaques and other funeral and memorial related materials are displayed.
Ecclesiastical titles – social titles and titles of rank, both before and after a person’s name. Examples Abbot, Archbishop, Archdeacon, Blessed, Bishop, Brother, Buddha, Cantor, Cardinal, Chaplain, Deacon, Dean, Elder, Father, Friar, Messiah, Monsignor, Mother Superior, Pastor, Patriarch, Pope, Prophet, rabbi, Reverend, saint, Sister and Venerable.
Elegy – an elegy (from the Greek word for “lament”) – el•e•gy – [el-i-jee] noun, plural el•e•gies is a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, that attendees of a funeral or cremation or cremation service; a poem written in elegiac meter especially for a funeral or cremation or cremation service; a sad or mournful musical composition that one might hear at a funeral or cremation memorial or cremation service.
Embalming – a procedure in which human remains are chemically treated by injection and/or topical application for temporary preservation, including, but not limited to, the act of disinfecting, preserving, and restoring the human remains to natural life-like appearance. The preservation is intended to allow for adequate time to plan a funeral ceremony and for friends and family to travel from out-of-town.
Entombment – Placing the human remains in a tomb or crypt.
Eulogy – words spoken at a ceremony to celebrate the life of a person who has died.
Exhume – See Disinter.
Family Car – A limousine used by immediate family in the funeral procession.
Family-Owned and Operated – Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced is proud to remain an independent, family-owned, second generation funeral home. This allows us to continue our focus on delivering personal care to our families, as we have since we began in 1985.
Family Room – A room in the funeral home where the family can have privacy at the time of the funeral.
Flower Car – Vehicle used to transport flowers from the funeral home to the church and/or cemetery.
Final Disposition – The last process the remains go through, for example burial, cremation, burial of cremated remains.
Final Rites – The funeral service.
First Call – The funeral director’s first visit to the place of death in order to remove the remains and obtain any information which is needed immediately.
Florist – Flowers are ordered to be on display during the wake and funeral from those close to the deceased from a company that designs floral arrangements.
FTC Funeral Rule – The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule outlines specific requirements for funeral homes regarding funeral goods and services. The Funeral Rule demonstrates one of many ways the industry is regulated to protect consumers and ensure a high level of professionalism within the business.
Funeral Arrangements – A conference between the deceased’s family and Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced where the details of the funeral and direction from the family is discussed and relevant finances are finalized.
Funeral Coach – Also casket coach or hearse. Motor vehicle designed to convey the casket from Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced to the place of burial entombment or cremation.
Funeral Ceremony – The ceremony or group of ceremonies that marks a person’s death, held before he or she is buried or cremated.
Funeral Director – Also mortician, undertaker. A licensed, trained and certified professional who arranges and supervises the burial entombment or cremation of human remains.
Funeral Home – A building used for embalming or otherwise preparing human remains for final disposition and for arranging and conducting funeral services, an example Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced.
Funeral Insurance – aka burial insurance. An insurance policy, normally written for an amount, which provides money for a funeral upon the death of the person insured.
Funeral Procession – A procession, usually in motor vehicles, from the church or chapel to the cemetery.
Funeral Service – Also known as final rites. The rites conducted immediately before final disposition of the dead body.
Funeral Casket Spray – A floral tribute to the deceased from those closest in relationship to the deceased that normally would lie on the foot panel of the casket.
Funeral Trust – See Prearranged funeral trust.
Grave – An excavated ground area for the purposes of burial.
Grave Liner – A receptacle made of concrete, metal, plastic or wood used to line the grave to protect the human remains and to prevent the grave from collapsing.
Grave Marker – See Memorial marker.
Green Funeral – describes funeral, cremation and burial options that are eco-friendly. For example, a casket of biodegradable material may be chosen for burial, or a tree may be planted over a grave as a way of “giving back” to the environment.
Grieving – part of the natural process that includes experiencing deep sadness.
Hearse – See Casket coach.
Honorary Pallbearers – Friends, or members of a religious, social, fraternal or military organization, who act as an honor guard or escort for the deceased. They do not carry the casket.
Hospice – is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient’s symptoms. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social in nature.
Immediate Burial – with the exception of a graveside ceremony, the direct disposition of human remains without a formal viewing, visitation or ceremony.
In state – See Viewing.
Inquest – An official inquiry, sometimes before a jury, to determine the cause of death.
Inter – To bury in a grave or tomb.
Interment – Placing human remains in a grave in the earth or in an underground tomb.
Inurnment – Placing cremated remains in an urn.
Lake Forest Casket, Inc – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Lead Car – A vehicle used to transport clergy or personnel for funeral/memorial ceremonies and the lead car for the funeral procession, when needed.
Mausoleum – A building containing above-ground tombs or crypts.
Memorial Luncheon – A gathering after a funeral of family and friends were lunch would typically be served to all.
Memorial Marker – A marker used to identify a grave, crypt, urn placement site or other place of final disposition. Permanent markers are usually of metal or stone and give the name of the deceased, their dates of birth and death, and sometimes a sentimental message.
Medical Examiner – An appointed person who examines a body after death to determine the cause of death.
Memorial Folder – a printed folder available during a visitation, memorial or church ceremony. The name, birth and death dates of the deceased are often included. A prayer or meaningful quote may also be used.
Memorial Service – A service conducted in memory of the deceased when the remains are not present.
Memorial Donation – A contribution made to a particular charity or organization in honor of the person who has died. This donation is usually made instead of sending flowers.
Minister’s Room – A room in the funer0al home set aside for the use of the clergy person or officiant before and after a funeral service.
Morgue – A place where human remains are kept pending autopsy, identification or preparation for a wake and funeral.
Mortician – A licensed, trained and certified professional who arranges and supervises the burial entombment or cremation of human remains.
Mortuary – A building used for embalming or otherwise preparing human remains for final disposition and for arranging and conducting funeral services.
Mortuary Science – the area of study in which a funeral director is certified and trained. This intensive educational program leads to the awarding of an accredited associate degree, and includes a wide range of topics – from helping grieving individuals and preparing a body for burial or cremation, to planning a funeral service.
Mourner – Someone who is present at the funeral out of love and/or respect for the deceased.
National Cemetery Administration (NCA) – A VA organizational component that honor our Nation’s Veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service to our Nation. NCA provides interment of eligible Service members, Veterans, Reservists, National Guard members, and eligible family members in national cemeteries, and furnishes headstones and markers for the graves of Veterans throughout the United States and the world. Additionally, NCA administers the State Cemetery Grants Program, which provides grants to states and tribal governments for establishing, expanding, and improving state Veterans’ cemeteries. Finally, NCA provides Presidential Memorial Certificates to Veterans’ loved ones to honor the service of honorably discharged deceased service members or Veterans.
Next of Kin – a person’s nearest relative.
Niche – A hollow space in a wall made for placing urns. It may be indoors or outdoors.
Niche Garden – An outdoor garden containing structures with niches.
Oak Ridge Casket Company – Provider of caskets to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Obituary – A notice, usually in the newspaper, containing biographical details of the deceased. A notice placed in the newspaper about a person’s death. An obituary can include biographical information about the person who died, as well as details about a planned service.
Officiant – a clergy person responsible for including a religious message and eulogy for those who gather at the funeral.
Pall – a religious cloth that is placed over a coffin at the funeral ceremony.
Pallbearers – Those who carry the casket during a funeral service. They are usually friends and relatives, a person who helps carry or escort a casket at a funeral or burial ceremony.
Plot – A privately-owned piece of ground in a cemetery which contains two or more grave sites, an area in a cemetery specifically set aside for burial.
Prayer Card – A printed card available during a visitation, memorial or church ceremony, a keepsake with deceased name made available during wake and funeral.
Prearranged Funeral – A funeral which has been arranged and may be prepaid before the person’s death.
Prearranged Funeral Trust – A trust fund where money for prearranged funerals is held until needed. In most States trusts are established under State law and/or supervision.
Pre-Need/Pre-Payment/Pre-Planning – See Advance Planning.
Preparation Room – A specially-designed room at Cremations and Funerals Affordably Priced equipped for preparing the deceased for final disposition.
Procession – See Funeral procession.
Register – A book containing details about the deceased and the funeral service which can be signed by all those attending. It is then given to the immediate family.
Register Book – A book that a family may choose to set out at a ceremony, for visitors to sign as a way to pay their respects to the person who has died. This list of visitors can be of comfort to the family in the days following a ceremony.
Remains – The dead body of the deceased person.
Reposing Room – See Visitation room.
Scattering – The act of distributing ashes or cremains in an open outdoor area.
Social Security – The foundation of economic security for millions of Americans—retirees, disabled persons, and families of retired, disabled or deceased workers. About 158 million Americans pay Social Security taxes and 57 million collect monthly benefits in 2013. About one household in four receives income from Social Security. Social Security is largely a pay-as-you-go program. This means that today’s workers pay Social Security taxes into the program and money flows back out as monthly income to beneficiaries. As a pay-as-you-go system, Social Security differs from company pensions, which are “pre-funded.” In pre-funded retirement programs, the money is accumulated in advance so that it will be available to be paid out to today’s workers when they retire. The private plans need to be funded in advance to protect employees in case the company enters bankruptcy or goes out of business.
Service Car – A vehicle belonging to the funeral home used to transport chairs, flower stands, etc.
Survivors – Those who have outlived the deceased, especially family members.
Tent – See canopy.
Tomb – A chamber excavated from earth or rock specifically for receiving human remains, grave or other place, such as a mausoleum, used to bury a dead person.
Traditional Full-Service Funeral – usually includes a viewing and visitation, formal ceremony, a graveside service, and burial or entombment.
Transferring – Remains may need to be transported to another location.
Transit Permit – A permit issued by a local authority allowing a body to be transported to the place of burial or cremation.
Undertaker – See Funeral director.
Urn – A container, usually of metal, wood or porcelain, into which cremated remains / cremains are permanently placed.
Urn Garden – A garden containing urn burial sites and frequently niches.
Urn Placement – Permanent placing of an urn into a niche or urn burial site.
Urn Vault – a small reinforced container used for housing an urn in the ground. The Urn Vault acts the same as a burial vault does for a casket – to help protect the surrounding ground from collapse.
VA Benefits – Eligible services and programs offered by VA such as pensions, education assistance, housing, burial aid, life insurance, employment preferences and other services. VA benefits vary depending on the Veteran’s service record. A Veteran, his/her spouse and dependents may be eligible for different types of benefits provided by VA.
Vault – (1) A burial chamber which is underground or partly so. (2) A metal or concrete container for the casket.
Viewing – Making the deceased available to be visited and seen by relatives and friends before or after the funeral service. A period of time set aside for friends and family to view the person who has died, usually in a special room within a funeral home or place of worship. Also called a “Visitation.”
Vigil – religious services or prayers, usually held the night before a funeral. A vigil, as the name suggests, is a time for keeping watch. A Roman Catholic religious service held on the eve of the funeral service.
Visitation – a period of time set aside for friends and family to visit the family of the person who has died. See also “Viewing.” An opportunity for family and friends to view the deceased in private before the funeral service.
Visitation Room – A room in a funeral home where the body lies in state before the funeral service so that people may view the deceased and spend time with other survivors.
Wake – (1) A watch kept over the deceased the night before the funeral service. (2) Social activities such as feasting and dancing associated with some funeral traditions.
Wilbert Vault Company – Provider of burial vaults to funeral homes in the Chicagoland area.
Worsham College of Mortuary Science – Founded in 1911, is a private institution offering an Associates Degree in twelve months. The College is dedicated to educating men and women for the funeral service profession.