embalm
Americanverb (used with object)
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to treat (a dead body) so as to preserve it, as with chemicals, drugs, or balsams.
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to preserve from oblivion; keep in memory.
his deeds embalmed in the hearts of his disciples.
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to cause to remain unchanged; prevent the development of.
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to impart a balmy fragrance to.
verb
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to treat (a dead body) with preservatives, as by injecting formaldehyde into the blood vessels, to retard putrefaction
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to preserve or cherish the memory of
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poetic to give a sweet fragrance to
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of embalm
1300–50; Middle English embalmen, embaumen < Old French emba ( u ) smer, equivalent to em- em- 1 + -ba ( u ) smer, verbal derivative of ba ( u ) sme balm
Explanation
To embalm is to prepare a body for a funeral or burial. Part of a funeral director's job is to embalm the bodies of people who have died. Various traditions of death and burial require a dead body to be preserved with chemicals, and when someone does this, she's said to embalm the body. Occasionally, there are also medical research or educational reasons to embalm a body. Embalm has an Old French root, embaumer, "preserve a corpse with spices."
Vocabulary lists containing embalm
Ancient Egypt - Introductory
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The Things They Carried
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Ancient Egypt - Middle School and High School
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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.
They claim that Risher breached the contract with the family by failing to professionally embalm Ramos’ remains and treat the body with the dignity and care required by California law.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
It is used to embalm dead bodies and to make perfume, incense and medicine.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2023
Lawyer Ronald Gordon, who is representing Chen’s family, said Chen’s parents traveled to Fiji after their daughter’s death but didn’t embalm her body and take her to the U.S. as they’d hoped.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2022
Chili peppers make you sweat; tragic novels make you cry; academic papers embalm you in a formaldehyde of words and then give you a splendid phrase to use for the rest of your life.
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2021
Mr. Carriaga addressed him sternly: “Did you embalm Josh Billings?”
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
