Meaning & use
Catafalque
Last updated
A raised, often decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests during a state funeral or memorial service.
See it in a sentence
President Lincoln's coffin rested on the Lincoln catafalque in the Capitol Rotunda.
Mourners filed past the catafalque to pay their final respects.
A note on using this word
The original Lincoln catafalque, built in 1865, has been reused for other state funerals held in the U.S. Capitol ever since.
Words with a similar meaning
bier
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Catafalque”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.