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Glite Dictionary
cerement

cerement

1 9.9
A waxed cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛrəmənt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : sudario
  • The old man was buried in a simple cerement made of natural fabrics.

Examples

  • Like Romeo and Juliet, and Tybalt lying there keeping them company under his sheets and cerements.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • For some reason, the word "cerements" came into his head.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • or his winding sheets, his cerements?

    Fiction book (1991)

  • It reminded Leighton of clay in cerement.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Clad in cerements: cheap black burial suit, slit open in back.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The garments begin to disintegrate and blow around, rotten cerements falling apart in mid-air.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • During the funeral, the family carefully placed the deceased in the cerement before closing the casket.

  • In ancient traditions, bodies were often wrapped in intricately designed cerements to prepare them for the afterlife.

Synonyms

shroud
vscerement
22 7.2

A cloth used to wrap a dead body before burial

is a burial wrap specifically waxed for interment rather than a general covering
winding-sheet
vscerement
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A cloth that people use to wrap a dead body for burial

is a waxed wrap or covering rather than any plain burial cloth
cerecloth
vscerement
  • Archaic
9.9

A waxed, waterproof cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial

is a general waxed burial wrap not necessarily waterproof or historical
winding-clothes
vscerement
  • Archaic
9.9

A cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial

is a waxed burial wrap rather than general clothing used for dressing the dead
burial garment
vscerement
7.9

A cloth used to wrap a dead person for burial

is a waxed wrap specifically made to encase the body rather than general clothing

Surface Forms

cerement singular
cerements plural

Morphology

cerement = cere + ment

Although historically built from a wax-related root + the noun-forming suffix '-ment', the root 'cere-' is not a productive or recognizable English base for most learners, so the meaning cannot be reliably derived from its parts.

Etymology

Cerement comes from the Latin root cera, which means 'wax', because these burial cloths were often coated with wax to protect the dead. So a cerement is a waxed shroud used to wrap a body for burial.