bier

Definition of biernext
as in coffin
a boxlike container for holding a dead body lifted the bier from its stand and placed it in the hearse for its final journey

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bier While lying in state, the coffin was placed not on an elevated bier, but facing the pews. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025 Inside the 16th-century basilica, his casket won't be put on an elevated bier—as was the case with past popes—but will just be placed on the main alta, simply facing the pews. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 Last year, Francis approved new funeral rites stating his body should be on view in a simple coffin rather than being placed on an elevated bier, per the Associated Press. Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025 But, under the new funeral structure, the pope will be laid directly into an open coffin, eliminating the use of the bier. Alec Schemmel, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025 The German microbrewery/restaurant has installed new TVs in its bier hall and at the bar for your viewing pleasure. Sam Allard, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025 The Senate may well have all been murdered on Lucilla’s weird, theater-y funeral bier. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024 Among the changes, the new rites eliminate the practice of placing the pope on an elevated bier in St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bier
Noun
  • Fears leading to a travel slowdown After news of rising airfare costs and geopolitical tensions potentially leading to security risks like sleeper cells, the shutdown's airport chaos was the nail in the coffin for Americans who are outright canceling their trips.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
  • No Malefic locked in a coffin with a microphone; no Attila Csihar dressed as a peacocking corpse.
    Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The Northwest Nazarene University Choir and Orchestra performed as Hogaboam’s teal-green casket lay among lavish bouquets before a large stage at the center of the arena.
    Noah Daly April 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
  • During the ceremony, her husband, Chris, was spotted, and afterward, family members, friends and fans laid white roses on her casket to say goodbye.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The scrolls were uncovered during an excavation in the Qurna area on Luxor's West Bank, near the tomb of Seneb.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Its above-ground tombs tell centuries of stories and offer a striking visual unlike any other American burial ground.
    Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bier. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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