# hearse

/ˈhɝs/ (US) · /hˈɜːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hearse
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. funeral vehicle

noun · CEFR B2

a long car that carries a dead person in a coffin to their funeral.

For teachers: a vehicle, typically a modified luxury car or van, used for conveying a coffin at a funeral.

- The black hearse led the long line of cars to the cemetery.
- A vintage horse-drawn hearse was used for the procession to honor the local historian's love for the nineteenth century.

### 2. tomb or coffin

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a very old word for a grave, a coffin, or a monument for a dead person.

For teachers: a grave, coffin, or sepulchral monument.

- The poet wrote about the cold stone hearse where the king lay.
- In the epic poem, the hero's hearse was adorned with the shields of his fallen enemies.

### 3. to entomb

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

to put someone in a tomb or a hearse.

For teachers: to enclose in a hearse or to entomb a deceased person.

- The ancient scrolls describe how the pharaoh was hearsed in gold.
- The fallen soldiers were solemnly hearsed before the final march to the national monument.

## Examples

- The hearse arrived at the church just before the service started.
- The family followed the hearse to the cemetery in a quiet, solemn procession through the village.
- While modern funerals often use standard vehicles, the traditional hearse remains a powerful symbol of the transition from life to death in many cultural traditions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.