tombstone

American  

[toom-stohn] / ˈtumˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a stone marker, usually inscribed, on a tomb or grave.

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Tombstone ¹ British  

/ ˈtuːmˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a town in the US, in Arizona: scene of the gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. Pop: 1547 (2003 est)

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tombstone ² British  

/ ˈtuːmˌstəʊn /

noun

1. another word for gravestone

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Etymology

Origin of tombstone

First recorded in 1555–65; tomb + stone

Example Sentences

“When I die,” Rob Reiner once joked to an interviewer, “I want my tombstone to read, ‘Now I’m in this place!’”

From Los Angeles Times

She balked at the idea of a traditional burial, calling caskets and tombstones “a racket.”

From Salon

Soviet officials based in New York traded jokes about the words that would appear on their tombstones.

From Literature

Mr. O’Brien refused concessions and tweeted an image of a tombstone “Yellow: 1924-2023.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But his tombstone was defaced on Thursday morning, local authorities said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• gravestone
• marker
• memorial
• monument