pall-bearer

Definition

1. Noun: A "pall-bearer" is a person who helps to carry or escort the coffin at a funeral. The term specifically refers to someone who physically bears the pall (a cloth covering the coffin) or supports the coffin during the funeral ceremony.

Usage Examples

• (They carried the coffin.)
• (Each person assisting with the coffin wore a white glove.)
• (They requested six men to carry the coffin.)

Advanced Usage

• "to act as a pall-bearer": to perform the duty of carrying or escorting the coffin.

  • He was honored to act as a pall-bearer for his grandfather. (He was proud to carry the coffin.)

• "honorary pall-bearer": a person designated to walk beside the coffin without physically carrying it, often as a mark of respect.

  • The widow chose her brother as an honorary pall-bearer. (He walked beside the coffin as a symbolic gesture.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pall (n): a heavy cloth, often of velvet, spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb.

  • The pall was embroidered with gold thread. (The cloth covering the coffin had gold embroidery.)

• Bearer (n): a person who carries or supports something.

  • The bearer of the flag led the procession. (The person carrying the flag led the group.)

Synonyms

• Coffin bearer: a person who physically carries the coffin.
• Funeral attendant: a person who assists at a funeral, though this term is broader and not limited to carrying the coffin.

Related Idioms

• "to bear the pall": an older, formal way of saying "to serve as a pall-bearer."
  • The knights bore the pall for the fallen king. (The knights carried the king's coffin.)