undertaker

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person whose job is to prepare dead bodies for burial or cremation and to arrange funerals.

   Grammar: Countable: an undertaker, two undertakers.

   Patterns

   • work as an undertaker
   • call an undertaker

   After their father died, the family asked an undertaker to handle the funeral arrangements.

   She decided to train as an undertaker because she wanted to help grieving families.

   The undertaker prepared the body carefully before the funeral.

2. 2nouncountableformalliterary

   A person who takes on a task or responsibility, especially a risky or difficult one.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in formal or literary contexts.

   Patterns

   • the undertaker of a task
   • undertaker of a project

   He was the undertaker of the dangerous mission to rescue the prisoners.

   As the undertaker of the family business, she faced many challenges.

Word forms

Common combinations

local undertaker

They used the local undertaker for the service.

licensed undertaker

Only a licensed undertaker can perform embalming.

undertaker's parlor

The viewing will be held at the undertaker's parlor.

hire an undertaker

You should hire an undertaker to manage the paperwork.

Synonyms and how they differ

funeral director

This is the modern, preferred term in many English-speaking countries; it sounds more professional and less old-fashioned than 'undertaker'.

mortician

Chiefly American; it emphasizes the technical work of preparing bodies, while 'undertaker' often includes arranging the whole funeral.

Word family

undertaking noun

A task or project, especially a large or important one.

undertake verb

To agree to do a task or begin a project.

Commonly confused: undertaker or undertaker?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “undertaker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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