burial
/ˈbɛɹi.əl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.90 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "His whole family was present at his burial."
- "The mourners listened as the priest performed the burial service of long-time parishioner Wendy Stuart."
- "A dreary year for the Squadron, this 1819, when officers and men fell sick by the shipload and were sent home by the tenderful, when Lemon Valley Hospital was supplemented by the one at High Peak, when Court-Martials were held at the rate of one a fortnight, burials thrice a week, and surveys on foul provisions every other day!"
- "However, many Cromlechs and Dolmins are carelessly called "Druid's circles", when in reality they were the burial places of ancient chieftains and their households[.]"
Etymology
From Middle English biriel, a backformation from biriels, which was re-interpreted as a plural, itself from from Old English byrġels, from byrġan (“to bury”) + -els. By surface analysis, bury + -al, but originally unrelated to this suffix.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: biriel, byrġels
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbɛɹi.əl/
- British English: /ˈbɛɹi.əl/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
burial at sea
burial case
burial chamber
burial ground
burial mound
burial place
burial plot
burial site