Gravecloth

/ˈɡreɪvklɔːθ/ noun

Definition

A cloth used to wrap a dead body or cover a grave; a shroud.

Etymology

Compound of grave (burial place) and cloth, formed to describe the fabric used in burial practices, a term appearing in historical and literary contexts.

Kelly Says

Before standardized coffins, 'gravecloth' was literally just fabric—people were wrapped in it and buried, and the word reflects that simple, direct approach to handling death in pre-modern times.

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