Commonly Used Terms

Some terms that you may want to become more familiar with include:

Alternative container
An unfinished wood box or other non-metal receptacle or enclosure, without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, which is designed for the encasement of human remains and which is made of fiberboard, pressed wood, composition materials (with or without an outside covering) or like materials.

Columbarium
A structure consisting of small vaults or niches for urns containing cremated remains.

Committal Service
The ceremony at the gravesite following a funeral ceremony or gathering in a church, chapel or other location.

Cremated remains
Sometimes referred to as 'ashes' or 'cremains,' these are the remains of the decedent after completion of cremation and processing.

Cremation
The reduction of human remains to bone fragments through intense heat, flame and evaporation.

Cremation casket
A special casket designed to be used when the final disposition of the remains is cremation. The casket may be used for visitation and/or the funeral ceremony, and it can be cremated with the decedent.

Crematory
A building or facility that houses the equipment necessary for cremation.

Crypt
An interment space in a mausoleum.

Entombment
The interment of human remains in an above-ground crypt or mausoleum.

Inurnment
The placing of an urn containing cremated remains into a columbarium, niche, crypt, tomb or ground space.

Lawn Crypt
A subsurface concrete structure constructed in multiple units for the interment of human remains. Lawn crypts may be constructed with more than one tier or level.

Mausoleum
A public or private building specially designed to receive entombments in crypts and niches.

Memorial
Any item, other than a mausoleum or columbarium, used for identifying an interment space or for commemoration of the life of a decedent, including, but not limited to, a monument, marker, niche plate, urn garden plaque, crypt plate, cenotaph, marker bench and vase.

Niche
A compartment or cubicle for the memorialization and permanent placement of the urn of cremated remains.

Outer Burial Container
Any container which is designed for placement in the grave around the casket including, but not limited to, containers commonly known as burial vaults, grave boxes and grave liners.

Professional Service Fee
The fee charged for making an interment including, but not limited to, administrative, clerical, legal and mechanical services performed by the cemetery in conjunction with the opening of an interment space in preparation for the interment of human remains and the subsequent closing of the interment space after the interment has been performed.

Urn
A container made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, bronze, ceramic, glass, porcelain, wood or other materials, into which cremated remains are placed. Many are designed in traditional vase-like shapes or square and rectangular cubes.

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