# catafalque

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkatəfalk/

## Definitions
1. A platform used to display or convey a coffin during a funeral, often ornate.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French catafalque, from Italian catafalco, from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum, from Ancient Greek κατά (katá, “down”) + Latin fala (“scaffolding, wooden siege tower”), which is from Etruscan. Also influenced scaffold.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/catafalque