Bier

/bɪər/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A frame or stand on which a corpse or coffin is placed.

The funeral director carefully positioned the coffin on the bier for the service.

A portable platform for a coffin, especially used in a procession.

The bier was carried by the pallbearers as they made their way to the grave.

A structure or frame for displaying an attic of a funeral home.

During the visitation, the deceased was respectfully placed on the bier at the front of the room.

Middle English, from Old English 'byre', which related to a structure for shelter or carrying.

bier of sorrow

A term that refers to the bier as a symbol of mourning.

to deck the bier

To decorate the bier, usually with flowers for a funeral.

coffin

A box or chest for storing a dead body.

funeral

A ceremony honoring a deceased person.

A humorous term for a place of rest.

After the long hike, I just want to find a bier to lie on.

To be dead or lifeless in a casual context.

I’m so tired, I feel like I’m on a bier.