Lichgate (Noun)
Meaning
A roofed gate to a churchyard, formerly used as a temporary shelter for the bier during funerals.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The old stone lichgate at the entrance of the village church was adorned with moss and wildflowers.
- Under the lichgate, the pallbearers gently set down the coffin to allow the mourners to gather.
- As we entered the churchyard, the family gathered around the lichgate to receive the body.
- In days of old, the lichgate provided a place of refuge for the bearers of the dead on a cold winter's night.
- Despite the modern cemetery's presence, the historic lichgate still stood at the church's original burial ground.