cremate
verb (used with object)
to reduce (a dead body) to ashes by fire, especially as a funeral rite.
had been cremating
-
past perfect progressiveof cremate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But from 2003 to 2008, the Dover Air Force Base mortuary had been cremating troops’ remains and dumping the ashes in a landfill, instead of the current practice of burial at sea.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2011
