hearse

noun \ ˈhərs \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Examples: hearse in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Evolution of hearse

Definition of hearse

1 a : an elaborate framework erected over a coffin or tomb to which memorial verses or epitaphs are attached

b : a triangular candelabra for 15 candles used especially at Tenebrae

2 a archaic : coffin

b obsolete : bier 2

3 : a vehicle for conveying the dead to the grave

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Recent Examples of hearse from the Web

Eventually, the pallbearers clad in black shirts and purple vests loaded Robinson's casket into a hearse in front of the church.

— hanna krueger, NOLA.com, "Hundreds gather to celebrate the life of Keeven Robinson, who died in JPSO custody," 19 May 2018
Stills and Young separately bolted for LA the following year, literally passing each other on the Sunset Strip; Neil in a hearse, Stills and Furay in a van driven by record producer Bill Friedman.

— morgan enos, Billboard, "8 Lesser-Known Buffalo Springfield Gems Worth Rediscovering," 30 May 2018
Imagine your deceased loved one being driven away in a hearse once used by a Bachelorette contestant.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Every Awkward, Bizarre, Boring Entrance From The Bachelorette Premiere," 29 May 2018
Every once in a while, a hearse pulls up with a new neighbor, slowly, followed by a line of cars with their headlights on.

— steve rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Colma cemeteries rapidly running out of space for plots," 5 May 2018
State officials and state police were at the funeral home Wednesday as bodies were removed in hearses.

— Fox News, "Detroit funeral home's license suspended after violations," 25 Apr. 2018
Family members are suing a north Alabama funeral home after a woman's body fell from a hearse onto a highway last year.

— ashley remkus, AL.com, "Family suing funeral home because woman's body fell from hearse onto road, lawsuit says," 19 Mar. 2018
Exhibits include presidential funerals, the history of embalming, 19th century mourning, historical hearses and more.

— ana khan, Houston Chronicle, "Local museums entertain, educate," 9 May 2018
The coffin of President Lincoln taken to the hearse as Lincoln's Funeral March is performed by city band.

— dawn mitchell, Indianapolis Star, "The epic journey of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hearse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Evolution of hearse

Medieval French used the word herce for a harrow, a farm tool used to break up and smooth the soil. Herce was also applied to a triangular frame that was used for holding candles. Herce was borrowed into Middle English as herse. In those days, a large and decorative framework might be raised over the tomb or coffin of an honored person. Because this framework was often decorated with candles, the word herse was applied to it. A series of slightly changed meanings led to the use of herse (Modern English hearse) for a platform for a corpse or coffin, and from that to a vehicle to carry the dead. The verb hearse emerged late in the 16th century.