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pyre

 
Dictionary: pyre   (pīr) pronunciation
n.
  1. A heap of combustibles for burning a corpse as a funeral rite.
  2. A pile of combustibles.

[Latin pyra, from Greek purā, from pūr, fire.]


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Word Tutor: pyre
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A heap of combustibles arranged for burning a dead body.

pronunciation Having a funeral pyre was an important custom of many cultures of the world.

WordNet: pyre
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
  Synonym: funeral pyre


Wikipedia: Pyre
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An Ubud cremation ceremony in 2005.

A pyre (Greek: πυρά, pyrá, from πυρ, pýr, fire) is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon the pyre which is then set on fire. Pyre is wood used for burning.

Traditionally, pyres are used for the cremation of the deceased in Hinduism & Sikhism. In England, the coffin is placed on an unlit pyre; however, in India, the pyre is lit. Pyres are uncommon in the Western world in modern times and have been replaced by the idea of indoor cremation in a crematorium. In a Viking funeral, the pyre was built on a ship, which was usually shaped like a dragon's snout.

Other uses

Pyres are used in celebrations and remembrance in services such as Guy Fawkes Night and Swiss National Day. They were used in the Sobibór extermination camp to cremate bodies as opposed to the crematoriums used in most camps.

See also

External links


Translations: Pyre
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - ligbål

Nederlands (Dutch)
brandstapel

Français (French)
n. - bûcher funéraire

Deutsch (German)
n. - Scheiterhaufen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πυρά (καύσεως νεκρών)

Italiano (Italian)
pira

Português (Portuguese)
n. - pira (f)

Русский (Russian)
погребальный костер

Español (Spanish)
n. - pira, hoguera

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (lik)bål

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
火葬用的柴堆

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 火葬用的柴堆

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 화장요 장작[더미]

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 積みまき

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) محرقه, كومه من الحطب لحرق الجثث‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מדורה, בעיקר לשריפה טקסית של מת‬


 
 
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