Word
sepulchre
Phoneticssepul·chre
UK/sˈɛpʌlkɐ/
US spelling · sepulcher
Countable noun
Definition
n. a stone tomb where a dead person is buried, often cut into rock or built long ago. You mostly see this word in old stories, history books, or the Bible.
n. a stone tomb or burial chamber, typically cut from rock or built to hold a body or coffin. Now found chiefly in literary, biblical, and historical contexts.
Examples
“They place flowers outside the old sepulchre.”
“The guide leads visitors down stone steps to the ancient sepulchre beneath the church.”
“Whitewashed sepulchres line the hillside, their sealed doors recalling centuries of mourning rituals that still shape the village calendar.”
Examples
simple
“They place flowers outside the old sepulchre.”
contextual
“The guide leads visitors down stone steps to the ancient sepulchre beneath the church.”
complex
“Whitewashed sepulchres line the hillside, their sealed doors recalling centuries of mourning rituals that still shape the village calendar.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sepulchre” in context.
Verb
01. consecrate sepulchre
“The bishop arrived to consecrate the new sepulchre built for the noble family.”
verb + noun
02. erect sepulchre
“The king ordered his architects to erect a magnificent sepulchre in the valley.”
verb + noun
03. lie in sepulchre
“The fallen heroes now lie in a silent sepulchre beneath the city walls.”
verb + prep + noun
04. seal sepulchre
“Heavy stones were used to seal the sepulchre against grave robbers.”
verb + noun
05. sepulchre contains
“The ancient sepulchre contains the remains of several high priests.”
noun + verb
Adjective
06. empty sepulchre
“Pilgrims gathered around the empty sepulchre to celebrate the feast of the resurrection.”
adj + noun
07. hewn sepulchre
“The body was placed in a newly hewn sepulchre carved directly into the limestone cliff.”
adj + noun
08. royal sepulchre
“The cathedral serves as the final resting place and royal sepulchre for the dynasty.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. chamber of sepulchre
“The inner chamber of the sepulchre was decorated with elaborate frescoes.”
noun + prep + noun
10. entrance to sepulchre
“Archaeologists cleared the debris blocking the entrance to the sepulchre.”
noun + prep + noun
11. carve a sepulchre from rock
“It was traditional for wealthy families to carve a sepulchre from the living rock.”
12. lay in a sepulchre
“They took the body down from the cross and laid it in a sepulchre.”
Real-World Examples
“For centuries, no one looked inside —until last week, when a crew of specialists opened the simple tomb in Jerusalem’s Old City and found the limestone sepulchre.” “Pressed against a wall in a back corridor of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a stone slab bore testimony only to the graffiti etched on it by multitudes of pilgrims through the ages.” “Preliminary findings from the investigation into the site where the body of Jesus Christ is traditionally believed to have been buried appear to confirm that portions of the tomb identified in the fourth century A.D. are likely still present today, having survived centuries of damage, destruction, and reconstruction of the surrounding Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City.” “Located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, the tomb has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., and most likely centuries earlier.” Etymology
From Middle English sepulchre, sepulcre, sepulker, from late Old English sepulcer, Old French sepulchre, sepulcre, and their etymon Latin sepulchrum, sepulcrum (“grave, burial place”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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