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
  • The integrity of college athletics has officially left the building, and the final nail in the coffin came from a Houston judge who ruled that Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby can play this upcoming season for the Red Raiders after admitting to gambling on his own team.
    Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
  • The landmark is now a museum with grass springing up from the train tracks that once carried George VI's coffin from Norfolk to London.
    Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • Petrescu looked over at Vidineac, who was weeping as the casket was lowered into the ground.
    Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
  • In order for Nancy and John to be buried in the same casket, the family had to wait for special permission from a probate court.
    Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • The Drenthepad covers roughly 340 kilometers (211 miles) across the unspoiled Dutch province of Drenthe, passing megalithic tombs, heathlands, forests and small villages, and crossing three national parks.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
  • The route passes megalithic tombs, heathlands, forests and small villages, and crosses three different national parks along the way.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026

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

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