pallbearer
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of pallbearer
Explanation
The sad job of a pallbearer is to help carry the casket at a funeral service or burial. In Western cultures, pallbearers are usually family members or close friends of the person who has died. Traditionally, pallbearers were men, all of whom wore white gloves as a sign of respect for the deceased person. These days, anyone can be a pallbearer. In some Eastern traditions, pallbearers are never members of the family, but instead are paid helpers. The word pallbearer comes from pall, "cloth spread over a coffin," and bearer, or "carrier."
Vocabulary lists containing pallbearer
Fences
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One of Us Is Lying
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The Fault in Our Stars
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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.
After Kennedy’s assassination, Whittaker was a pallbearer at the funeral in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
At the dog park, he turned strangers into fast friends, joining regulars for dinner and even serving as a pallbearer at one of their funerals.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024
Kara-Murza had been a friend of Sen. John McCain and was a pallbearer at his 2018 funeral.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2023
Kara-Murza holds both British and Russian citizenship and was a pallbearer at the funeral of U.S.
From Reuters • Apr. 6, 2023
A pallbearer walked over to the funeral man.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
