Terminology used
Terminology Used within Services
We have made every effort to keep our website free of jargon but realise that some expressions might need further explanation.
This glossary is intended to help you understand some of the terms used within our documentation or when in conversation someone.
The terminology used is not meant to offend or upset anyone.
A
Administrator
An administrator is the person responsible for managing the estate of a person who has died if they had not written a will, not named an executor in their will, or the executor they had named has renounced their responsibilities.
Angelversary
An angelversary is the anniversary of a significant date in the life of someone who has died, such as their death, birthday or wedding.
Ashes
Ashes are the remains of someone who has died after their body has been cremated.
B
Bearer/Pall Bearer
A bearer is a person who carries or supports a coffin into church or crematorium or assists in lowering a coffin into a grave.
Bier
A bier is a moveable frame for transporting a coffin in a church or crematorium. or before burial in a cemetery.
Beneficiary
A beneficiary is a person named in a will as a recipient of a bequest.
Benevolent Fund
A benevolent fund is a charitable trust established by trades. armed and civilian services. charities or individuals to provide financial support to people affiliated with it. such as members of a specific profession. Some benevolent funds provide grants to the eligible dependents of people who have died.
Bequest
A bequest is property, money or land left to someone in a will. Name of their client and relationship to the deceased, i.e. the Next of Kin. Chief Mourner. or person who is handling the funeral arrangements.
Bereaved
The bereaved are people who are grieving for a person who has died. usually a member of their immediate family or a close friend.
Bereavement
Bereavement is the experience of someone close to you dying.
Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave is a period of paid or unpaid time off work after the death of a close family member. such as a parent. spouse, child or sibling, to attend the funeral and cope with the initial feelings of grief.
Bereavement Policy
A bereavement policy is a guide to the rights and responsibilities of employees and managers after a member of staff has suffered a bereavement.
Bereavement support Organisation
A bereavement support organisation is a service. usually a charity, that provides practical information and psychological support, such as grief counselling to people who are bereaved.
Bereavement Support Payment
A bereavement support payment is financial support from the government after the death of a spouse or civil partner. The amount. which can be paid in a one-off lump sum or monthly payments for a set period, depends on whether the recipient is caring for dependent children.
Body Donation
Body donation is the act of leaving your body to a medical school for scientific research after you have died.
Book of Remembrance
A book of remembrance is a book kept in a crematorium to record the names of people who were cremated at it. Many crematoria turn the pages of a book of remembrance every day so that the names of people memorialised in them are displayed on the anniversary of their funeral.
Burial
A burial is the act of placing a coffin or shroud containing the body of someone who has died in a grave. Urns containing cremated ashes can also be buried.
Burial at Sea
A burial at sea is the committal of a person who has died into the sea, usually in a specially adapted coffin at designated sites; mostly for people with a connection to the sea, such as fishermen or people who have served in the navy. A licence is required for burial at sea in the UK.
Burial Fees
Burial fees are the cost of leasing a grave to bury the coffin or casket containing the body of someone who has died, or an urn containing their ashes.
Burial Ground
A burial ground is an area of land owned by a council or private organisation where the bodies or ashes of people who have died are buried.
Burial Plot
A burial plot is an area of a cemetery reserved in advance by a person or family for burial when they die. Sometimes they are large enough for multiple burials.
C
Casket
A casket is a type of coffin distinguished by its rectangular shape.
Catafalque
A catafalque is a stand or support on which to place a coffin or casket. sometimes decorate or covered with a decorative drape called a pall.
Celebration of Life
A celebration of life is a funeral ceremony or memorial service that focuses on positive memories of the person who has died. rather than the protocols of traditional funerals; usually humanist or civil.
Cemetery
A cemetery is an area of land for traditional burials. usually attached to a Christian Church or Jewish Synagogue, or owned by secular organisation such as a council or Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Certificate for Burial or Cremation
A Certificate for Burial or Cremation is a certificate issued free of charge after someone’s death has been registered, in addition to a death certificate. It is a legal requirement for this certificate to be issued before they can be buried or cremated.
Chapel of Rest
A chapel of rest is a room in a funeral home where people can view the body of a loved one who has died. Chapels of rest are not necessarily religious.
Churchyard
A churchyard is a cemetery attached to a Christian church
Coffin
A coffin is a box made from wood or biodegradable materials such as willow or cardboard, containing the body of someone who has died for burial or cremation.
Colourful Funeral
A colourful funeral is a type of funeral that ignores traditional protocols and practice. such as black clothing, to focus on celebrating positive memories of the person who has died.
Columbarium
A columbarium is a building used for storing cremation ashes, usually with recessed niches for
Committal Service
A committal service is a ceremony at a graveside where the coffin or casket containing someone who has died is buried. It can happen immediately after a funeral service or on a different occasion. Urns containing ashes can also be buried at a committal service.
Cord
A Cord is a plaited rope or cloth that is used to lower a coffin into a grave.
Coroner
A coroner is a local government official, usually a trained lawyer or doctor in England and Wales responsible for investigating the circumstances of someone’s death if the cause or identity of the person are unknown.
Cortege
See Funeral Procession
Cremated Remains
See Ashes
Cremation
A cremation is the process of burning a coffin containing someone who has died: also refers to the funeral ceremony that precedes it.
Cremation Jewellery
Jewellery that is designed to keep the cremated ashes of someone who has died.
Cremation Tattoo
A cremation tattoo is a tattoo with the ashes of someone who has died mixed into the pigment.
Crematorium
A crematorium is a building in which coffins containing someone who has died are burned.
Cremations
Cremations are usually preceded by funeral services attended by the family and friends of people who have died.
D
Death Certificate
A death certificate is a certificate issued to confirm that someone has died when their death is registered at a registry office.
Death Notice
A death notice is an announcement placed in a newspaper announcing someone’s death and details of their funeral.
Digital legacy
A digital legacy is the combined total of a person’s assets that exist online or electronically after they die, such as social media accounts, email accounts, on line payment accounts. air miles, digital music and films.
Disbursements
Disbursements are bills paid by a funeral director to third parties. on behalf of a family arranging a funeral. These cover costs such as crematorium fees, flowers and hire of a venue for a reception.
DIV Funeral
A DIV funeral is a funeral organised by a bereaved family without the services of a funeral director, although they might receive advice from one.
E
Embalming
Embalming is the process of preserving the body of someone who has died before the funeral.
Estate
An estate is everything owned by a person at the time of their death, including finances. money indebted to them, shares, property and personal possessions.
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech given at a funeral in honour of the person who has died, usually by a close family member, friend or celebrant.
Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB)
Exclusive right of burial is the lease of a burial plot for a set period of time, this is usually 50, 75, or 100 Years. The right of burial also includes the right to erect a memorial on a grave. Once the term of an EROB has expired, the owner of the cemetery will contact the closest living relatives of the person buried there to ask if they would like to extend the lease. If they do not, or they cannot be identified or contacted, the grave might be opened up for a new burial. If any remains of the person are still in the grave they will be re-interred below the bottom of the new grave.
Executor
An executor is someone names in a will as the person responsible for managing the estate of someone who as has died, this is usually a close friend or a family member.
Exhumation
Exhumation is the removal of a body from a burial site, usually for reburial elsewhere, which requires a licence in the UK.
F
Family Bearers
Please see Pall Bearers
First Office
First Offices is the process of making a person who has died suitable for their loved one to view, such as cleaning, washing the body , dressing them and applying makeup.
Floral Tributes
Floral tributes are flowers purchased for the funeral of a loved one who has died or sent to the family by a well-wisher.
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony to commemorate someone ‘s death, before they are buried or cremated. This can be either religious or non-religious, and can feature a eulogy, reading and songs that reflect the persons life.
Funeral Arranger
This is a person who works for a funeral director to arrange the funeral for someone who has died. The funeral director can sometimes be described as arrangers.
Funeral celebrant
A funeral celebrant is a person who leads a funeral service. There duties generally included giving a eulogy or tribute in memory of the person who as dies. They may be a cleric for a particular religion or a non-denominational minister or a civil, or humanist celebrant.
Funeral Director
A funeral director is a person who arranges a funeral for someone who has died on behalf of a bereaved family. They can organise every detail of a funeral, including preparing the person who as died for cremation or burial, completing paperwork, liaising with churches, crematoria, celebrants, and ministers providing funeral transport and pallbearers and arranging funeral flowers, order of service and music.
Funeral Home
A funeral home is the premises of a funeral director’s business where they look after people who have died and arrange funerals.
The Lord’s My Shepherd (Psalm 23)
Abide With Me
Amazing Grace
How Great Thou Art
The Old Rugged Cross
Lord of All Hopefulness
Funeral Plan
A funeral Plan is a scheme by which someone can pay for their own funeral in advance of their death so that their family doesn’t need to do so.
Funeral Procession
A funeral procession is a ceremonial convey of vehicles driving at a slow speed to the venue of the funeral. It is often lead by the funeral director on foot (this is called Paging) followed by the hearse carrying the coffin of the person who as died and the other cars will contain the members of their family.
Funeral Services
A funeral service is a ceremony, led by a celebrant or minister before the burial or cremation of someone who has died, in which tributes are given by their family and friends, including eulogies, readings and music.
G
Grief Retreat
A grief retreat, is a respite holiday for bereaved people to help them cope with grief after someone has died, in the company of people in a similar situation, and supported by counsellors.
Grief Therapy
Grief therapy is a psychological treatment to help people cope with grief after a loved one has died. This can range from talking therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to alternative practices such as art therapy, provided by a bereavement support organisation or practitioner.
Grief Therapy Dog
A grief therapy dog is a dog that is used to help people especially children feel comfortable and relaxed when talking about someone who has died, including at a funeral, usually after passing an assessment.
H
Headstone
A headstone is a memorial made from hard material such as granite, marble, sandstone, or slate erected above the grave of someone who has died, with details of their life and inscription, such as a line of poetry or verse from the bible. Sometimes called a headstone or tombstone.
Hearse
A hearse is a vehicle specially designed to carry a coffin or casket in a funeral procession.
Hospice
A hospice is a medical facility that provides palliative care for both adults and children with terminal illnesses and life limiting conditions.
Humanist Funeral
A humanist funeral is a secular funeral based on humanist beliefs that focuses on the life and personality of the person who has died rather than the afterlife. Usually led by a Humanist Celebrant.
Human Tissue Authority
The Human Tissue Authority is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It regulates organisations that remove and store human tissue for post-mortem examinations and medical research.
Hymn Sheet
A Hymn Sheet is a piece of paper with the words and music for a hymn written on it.
I
Inquest
An Inquest is an investigation by a coroner in England, Wales, and other countries with similar legal systems, such as USA, Canada, and Australia, if the cause of someone’s death, or their identity is unclear.
Intestate
An intestate is the status of a person who has died without writing a will.
Interment
See Burial
K
Keepsake
A keepsake is a small item purchased or made a memory of someone who has died, such as jewellery.
L
Lair
A lair is a Scottish word for a burial plot or grave.
Letters of Administration
A Letters of administration is the legal authorisation to act as the administrator of the estate of someone who has died.
Living Will
A living will, officially called an advance directive, is a document recording someone’s advance wishes for end-of-life care, if they become unable to state their own wishes at the time.
M
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is a structure housing above-ground tomb.
Medical Certificate of cause of Death
A medical certificate of cause of death is a certificate issued by a doctor confirming the cause of someone’s death, which must be presented to register someone’s death.
Memorial
A memorial is a public or private object, such as a piece of jewellery or bench, dedicated to someone who has died.
Memorial Bench
A memorial bench is a bench dedicated to someone who has died, usually installed is a public garden or riverside.
Memorial Mason
A memorial mason is sometimes called a monumental mason, is a stonemason who specialises is carving and maintaining headstones.
Memorial Service
A memorial mason is a ceremony to commemorate the death of someone in addition to a funeral, such as the anniversary of their death or instead of one.
Miscarriage
A miscarriage sometimes called pregnancy loss, is the natural death of an embryo or foetus before it can survive outside of the mother’s womb, usually at less than 20 weeks. The death of a baby after 20 weeks is called a stillbirth.
Mortuary
A mortuary is a room usually in a hospital or funeral home where the bodies of people who have died are kept and cared for before they are collected for their funeral. The family of a person who has died can usually view their loved one in the mortuary.
Mortician
A mortician sometimes called a mortuary technician, is someone who prepares the body of a person who has died for burial or cremation, which may involve embalming and dressing them. If the person died a result of injuries in an accident the mortician might also perform reconstructive surgery so that their family can view them before the funeral.
Mourning Clothes
Mourning clothes is a dress code for people in mourning after a loved one has died such as a spouse. Child or parent, this was especially common in the 19th century. The rules for Victorian mourning clothes were largely applied to women and required dressing in black for at least 6 months and mostly black for several years.
Mourning Jewellery
Mourning jewellery is a type of jewellery worn in memory of people who have died. It was popular from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century especially the 19th century Victorian mourning jewellery was generally black often made from jet and decorated with meaningful symbols such as teardrops, urns, hearts, and snakes.
N
National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) is an organisation that represents funeral directors and suppliers to the funeral profession in the UK and overseas.
Natural Burial
A natural burial is a type of burial that requires strict conditions to protect the environment such as not embalming the body of the person who has died using biodegradable coffins and memorials made of natural masteries, including wood, slate.
Natural Burial Ground
A natural burial ground is sometimes called woodland burial grounds and natural burial ground is a burial ground that only permits natural burials. Many are private but some are managed by churches or councils.
Next-of-Kin
A next of kin is a person designated as someone’s closest living relative who has responsibility for making decisions for them if they become incapacitated or die.
O
Obituary
An obituary is an announcement in a newspaper or website, announcing someone’s death. Often it will describe their life and how much they meant to their family. It may also include details of when and where the funeral is happening.
Officiant
See Funeral Celebrant.
Order of Service
An order of service sheet is a sheet of paper with information about a funeral for people attending it, including a brief obituary for the person for the person who has died and words for prayers readings and hymns.
Organ Donations
Organ donations is the act of having organs and other body parts such as heart, lungs. Kidneys or retinas transplanted into another person, some organs such as a kidney can be donated by a living donor, but transplants are usually taken from a person who has died.
Ossuary
An ossuary is an above ground container or chamber that contains the bones of people that have died.
P
Pall
A pall is a decorative drape traditionally spread over a coffin at a funeral.
Pallbearer
A pallbearer is someone who carries or escorts the coffin at a funeral. Usually either close family or friends of the person who has died or professionals are provided by the funeral director. Pallbearers are traditionally male, but women sometimes do it, regardless of whether the coffin is carried or escorted. Many funeral directors provide their own pallbearers for a funeral.
Palliative Care
Palliative care is medical and emotional support for a person who is dying in a hospice, hospital or at home.
Pauper’s Grave
A pauper’s grave is a grave provided by a local authority for someone who has received a public health funeral, sometimes shared with other people. This is sometimes called a community grave.
Photo Tribute
A photo tribute is a montage of photos played onto a screen at the crematorium or chapel, supplied by the family and loaded onto Obitus or Wesley music system, usually played at the point of reflection.
Post-mortem Examination
A post-mortem examination examinations is a medical investigation of the body of a person who has died, ordered by a coroner or procurator fiscal and carried out by a pathologist to discover the cause of their death.
Pre-planned/Pre-arranged Funeral
A pre-planned/pre-arranged funeral is a funeral organised in advance of a persons death often by the person themselves and sometimes pre-paid with a funeral plan.
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a legal officer employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland with responsibility for investigating the circumstances of someone’s death if the cause or identity of the person and unknown.
Probate
Probate is the legal authority to manage a loved one’s estate after they die.
Public Health Funeral
A public health funeral is a funeral arranged by a local authority for someone whose family is unknown or who have renounced responsibility for them.
Q
Quaker Funeral
A quaker funeral is a funeral service for a person who identified as a quaker in accordance with quaker beliefs and practices. Anyone can have a quaker funeral if they supported the values of Quakerism even if they were not a member of the Society of Friends during their lifetime.
R
Reception
A reception is sometimes called a wake, a reception is a gathering after a funeral, which is usually less formal than the service, where mourners can meet to reminisce on the person who has died and support each other. Food and drink are usually served.
Repatriation
Repatriation is the process of bringing a loved one back to their home country if they died abroad.
S
Scattering
Scattering is the act of distributing the ashes of someone who had died, usually in a place that was important to the person and their loved ones.
Spiritual Will
A spiritual will is a letter to a loved one containing massages for them after you die.
State Funeral
State Funeral is a funeral organised by the government of a country that follows pre-determined protocols, such as lying in state and a military escort.
Stillbirth
A stillbirth is the birth of a baby that is at least 20 weeks old, who has died before they are born.
Suicide
Suicide is death caused by someone choosing to kill themselves.
T
Thanatophobia
Thanatophobia is a persistent fear of death that can cause symptoms of anxiety and disrupt daily life.
U
Undertaker
An Undertaker is an alternative but old-fashioned name for a Funeral Director. The term undertaker was coined because they undertake to arrange a funeral for bereaved families.
Urn
An urn is a container for keeping the ashes of someone who has died, available in many different materials, shapes, and styles.
V
Viewing
Viewing is the act of seeing the body if a person after they have died, in a mortuary or chapel of rest.
W
Wake
A wake is a reception gathering of people after a funeral, which is usually less formal than the service, where mourners can meet to reminisce on the person who has died and support each other. Food and drink are usually served.
War Memorial
A war memorial is a public or private monument to the memory of soldiers or civilians killed in armed conflict.
Water Cremation (or Aquamation)
Water cremation (or Aquamation) is sometimes called alkaline hydrolysis. Water cremation is the process of dissolving the body of the person who has died in a solution that is 95% hot water with a 5% mixture of potassium and sodium hydroxide.
Webcast
A webcast a service provided to the family who are unable to attend the ceremony in person. An additional cost to the service (used during Covid 19 circumstances)
Widow(er)
A widow is a woman whose husband has died. A widower is a man whose wife has died.
Will
A will is a legally valid document explaining how the person who has died would like their money and property distributed amongst their family and friends. It must be signed by the person who has made the will and witnessed by people who are not going to receive anything from it.
Woodland Burial
A woodland burial is a type of burial as a natural burial, that requires strict conditions to protect the environment such as not embalming the body of the person who has died using biodegradable coffins and memorials made of natural masteries, including wood, slate.
Woodland Burial Ground
A woodland burial ground is a natural burial ground is a burial ground that only permits natural burials. Many are private but some are managed by churches or councils.
X
Xhosa Funerals
Xhosa Funerals are the traditional funeral rituals of the Xhosa people of South Africa who mainly live in the Republic of South Africa. The most famous Xhosa funeral in recent history was the funeral of Nelson Mandela, the Anti-Aparteid activist and former President of South Africa.
Y
Yahrzeit
Yahrzeit is the observation of the anniversary of a death in the Hebrew calendar traditionally by Ashkenazi Judaism. It is customary for observers to attend the Synagogue and recite kaddish prays.
Z
Zoroastrian Funeral
Zoroastrian Funeral is the traditional funeral practice of people who believe on Zoroastrianism. During a traditional funeral the bodies of people who have died and considered impure are laid out in isolated platforms called ‘Towers of Silence’ to be eaten by vultures. Zoroastrians in countries where the practice is illegal have their loved ones cremated.