cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

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

He was cremated on Saturday amid a large turnout by India’s fashion fraternity and a huge goodbye from celebrities and friends who shared their condolences and their memories of him. —Mayu Saini, WWD, 3 Nov. 2024

Colorado funeral home owners accused of failing to cremate or bury nearly 200 bodies and misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds pleaded guilty Thursday to federal fraud charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

After the medical school and other groups were finished, the bodies were cremated and, in most cases, interred at area cemeteries or scattered at sea. —Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024

In fact, Walt Disney was cremated and his ashes are in Glendale. —John Werner, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cremate

verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈmāt 

cremated; cremating

: to burn (as a dead body) to ashes

cremation

kri-ˈmā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

cremate

transitive verb

cre·​mate ˈkrē-ˌmāt  kri-ˈ 

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