Burial | n. [ OE. buriel, buriels, grave, tomb, AS. byrgels, fr. byrgan to bury, and akin to OS. burgisli sepulcher. ] 1. A grave; a tomb; a place of sepulture. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] The erthe schook, and stoones weren cloven, and biriels weren opened. Wycliff [ Matt. xxvii. 51, 52 ]. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. The act of burying; depositing a dead body in the earth, in a tomb or vault, or in the water, usually with attendant ceremonies; sepulture; interment. “To give a public burial.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] Now to glorious burial slowly borne. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ] Burial case, a form of coffin, usually of iron, made to close air-tight, for the preservation of a dead body. -- Burial ground, a piece of ground selected and set apart for a place of burials, and consecrated to such use by religious ceremonies. -- Burial place, any place where burials are made. -- Burial service. (a) The religious service performed at the interment of the dead; a funeral service. (b) That portion of a liturgy which is read at an interment; as, the English burial service. [ 1913 Webster ] Syn. -- Sepulture; interment; inhumation. [ 1913 Webster ] |