bier

noun

ˈbir How to pronounce bier (audio)
Definition of biernext
as in coffin
a boxlike container for holding a dead body lifted the bier from its stand and placed it in the hearse for its final journey

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bier The coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters, who were swaying and beating their heads in time to a sung lament as flowers were thrown from the bier into the crowd. — Reuters, USA Today, 4 July 2026 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the bier of Kim Yong Nam on Tuesday to express condolences, and the funeral is scheduled for Thursday. — Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025 While lying in state, the coffin was placed not on an elevated bier, but facing the pews. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025 Last year, Francis approved new funeral rites stating his body should be on view in a simple coffin rather than being placed on an elevated bier, per the Associated Press. — Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025 In the past, the pope's body would be displayed on an elevated frame known as a bier. — Alec Schemmel, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025 The German microbrewery/restaurant has installed new TVs in its bier hall and at the bar for your viewing pleasure. — Sam Allard, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bier
  1. coffin
  2. casket
  3. tomb
Noun
  • During her funeral procession in September 2022, Emma stood to the side as the late Queen’s coffin passed by at Windsor Castle.
    — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Emergency workers brought out a coffin and loaded it onto an ambulance, which will transport them to their hometown for funeral rites.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of coffin
Noun
  • Just a few people attended Beloozerov’s funeral – a closed casket ceremony – at a Maryland cemetery in October 2024.
    — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Mourners also gathered at Kyiv's main Maidan Square, many dropping to their knees as a sign of respect as his casket was brought to the site.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of casket
Noun
  • This tomb, and others in Sardinia, was built as a collective burial site around 1800 BCE by the Nuragic people.
    — Leigh Anne Miller for ARTnews, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The same year that the Lincoln Memorial was inaugurated, the tomb of Tutankhamum was discovered in Egypt, fueling a broader fascination with ancient civilizations, monuments and the ways societies preserved memories of powerful figures.
    — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tomb

Browse Nearby Words

bids fair
bier
biers
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Cite this Entry

“Bier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bier. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bier for Spanish Speakers

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