pallbearer
Americannoun
-
pallbearers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
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
If she is asked to help at a service, she is often the only female pallbearer - but recently, at one funeral, there were four women working.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2023
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
Another pallbearer chimed in, “Let’s go get some doughnuts.”
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
At Nielsen’s funeral, the pallbearers carried his coffin to the “Naked Gun” theme.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2025
It was lifted by pallbearers and carried into the church.
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2024
At the front of the cathedral, pallbearers placed the casket next to a large photo of a smiling Valenzuela.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024
Ten Hag and other Twente players were pallbearers at Scharmin's funeral and the United manager has a day of mourning on 7 June every year.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2024
“But like I was saying, pallbearers are the guys who, pretty much, carry the casket.”
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
