cremate

verb

cremated; cremating

transitive verb

: to subject to cremation
especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments
cremate a dead body

Examples of cremate in a Sentence

He wants to be cremated when he dies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the next six months, as some family members were writing to the Health Science Center asking when their relatives’ remains would finally be returned, Nassiri repeatedly failed to cremate the bodies and ship the ashes as promised, emails show. Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024 His body went unclaimed, and he was subsequently cremated. Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 That wasn’t possible because Guillot Jr.’s remains had been cremated. Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024 Not sure what to make of the pile, Cassidy asked a co-worker, who said that it was obviously cremated human remains. The Editors, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cremate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin crematus, past participle of cremare to burn up, cremate

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cremate was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near cremate

Cite this Entry

“Cremate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cremate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cremate

verb
cremated; cremating
: to burn (as a dead body) to ashes
cremation noun

Medical Definition

cremate

transitive verb
cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt How to pronounce cremate (audio) kri-ˈ How to pronounce cremate (audio)
cremated; cremating
: to subject to cremation
especially : to reduce (a dead body) to mostly tiny bits of bones resembling ash through exposure to flame and intense heat followed by pulverization of bone fragments

More from Merriam-Webster on cremate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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