Graveclod

/ˈɡreɪvkɑːd/ noun

Definition

A lump or clod of earth from a grave, used in old poetry to symbolize death or burial.

Etymology

Compound of grave (burial place) and clod (lump of earth), a poetic term used in English literature since the medieval and Renaissance periods to evoke death imagery.

Kelly Says

Medieval and Renaissance poets loved using 'graveclod' in elegies and funeral verses—it's the physical, earthy way they described death, much more vivid than just saying 'grave' by itself.

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