People whose profession is to arrange funerals and prepare dead bodies for burial or cremation.
From 'undertake' meaning to commit oneself to a task or responsibility, dating to the 1600s. An undertaker literally 'undertakes' the responsibility of managing funeral arrangements. The term evolved as the funeral business became a formalized profession separate from grave-diggers.
Victorian undertakers were incredibly important and sometimes dishonest—they'd sell grieving families 'ornate' coffins that were falling apart inside! Modern funeral homes are heavily regulated, but the word 'undertaker' persists in British English while Americans use 'funeral director,' showing how the same job got renamed across the Atlantic.
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