pallbearer

noun

pall·​bear·​er ˈpȯl-ˌber-ər How to pronounce pallbearer (audio)
: a person who helps to carry the coffin at a funeral
also : a member of the escort or honor guard of the coffin who does not actually help to carry it

Examples of pallbearer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Through photos and letters, the duo learned that the ornate sculpture had been made to commemorate the hats that Felder and the other pallbearers left at Kennedy’s grave. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 So on Thursday, when a sea of green t-shirts poured out at the pace of pallbearers onto the Coliseum’s pedestrian bridge following the A’s final day in Oakland, there was no sign of Bobbitt, who’d left hours earlier. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2024 Sean Monahan, who played nine seasons with Gaudreau during their tenures on the Calgary Flames and was a pallbearer at Gaudreau’s funeral earlier this month, wore a Johnny Gaudreau t-shirt while speaking with reporters at the event. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2024 His funeral at Washington’s storied New York Avenue Presbyterian Church was attended by President Calvin Coolidge, and Dulles was among his pallbearers. Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pallbearer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pallbearer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

pall entry 2

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pallbearer was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near pallbearer

Cite this Entry

“Pallbearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pallbearer. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pallbearer

noun
pall·​bear·​er ˈpȯl-ˌbar-ər How to pronounce pallbearer (audio)
-ˌber-
: a person who helps to carry the coffin at a funeral

More from Merriam-Webster on pallbearer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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