pallbearer

noun

pall·bear·er | \ ˈpȯl-ˌber-ər

Definition of pallbearer

: 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 DuPay asked to be a pallbearer at Purcell’s police funeral. — oregonlive, 3 May 2021 The elder Zack was a pallbearer along with Zack at the private funeral service. — Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2021 Founded in 1880, Mount Zion was Orlando’s oldest African American church, and mourners included prominent residents such as educator Moses Crooms, who was a pallbearer. — Joy Wallace Dickinson, orlandosentinel.com, 21 Feb. 2021 In the year since 18-year-old Gregory Alexander was shot and killed on a Chalmette Street on Christmas Eve 2019, his mother, Lakecha Shedrick, said three of his friends, including a pallbearer at his funeral, have also died in gunfire. — Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, 24 Dec. 2020 Trump criticized McCain, a former prisoner of war, both prior to and after McCain’s 2018 death from cancer, and was not invited to McCain’s funeral, where Biden served as a pallbearer. — Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2020 One of them is the comic Tom Dreesen, who was born and raised in south suburban Harvey and was a pallbearer at the funeral of his friend and mentor Frank Sinatra. — Rick Kogan Chicago Tribune (tns), Star Tribune, 16 Sep. 2020 Twenty-five years ago, the day before the start of the Masters, Ben Crenshaw was a pallbearer at the funeral of his mentor and coach, Harvey Penick. — Bill Pennington, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2020 At this time, the funeral director may tell you what help is needed at the funeral like pallbearers, a host site, or items for the funeral service like photos. — USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2020

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