Descriptionary

weed any unwanted plant that competes with crops for nutrients and water.

windrow a long pile of hay left to dry in a field before being baled or bundled.

firefighting

air tanker a large airplane equipped with a tank for dropping water or chemicals on a forest fire.

borate a saltlike substance used to put out fires.

borate bomber a large airplane equipped with a tank for dropping borate on a fire.

bucket brigade nickname for rural firefighting team comprising people in a line handling down buckets of water.

conflagration a huge, out-of-control fire that extends over a large area or through several buildings.

coop the communication center where calls are received in a fire station.

fire break a strip of land burned or plowed to stop the spread of an oncoming fire.

fire door a heavy door designed to hold back fire for at least 30 minutes.

fire wall a fireproof wall.

fog pattern a broad cloud of water sprayed con­tinuously over an area to keep firemen cool while they work.

gooseneck crane a hinged crane equipped with water nozzles, used for fighting fires high up. Also known as a snorkel.

mars light the red, flashing beacon atop a fire truck.

outrigger a support leg that extends out the side of a ladder truck to help stabilize it.

pack pump a water tank worn on the back, used to carry water to brush fires.

resuscitator apparatus that forces air into the lungs of people suffering from smoke inhalation.

snorkel see gooseneck crane.

superpumper a huge pump used to draw water from a river, lake, or other body of water.

tillerman one who steers the rear portion of a long ladder truck.

turnout coat a firefighter's waterproof, fireproof coat.

turntable the platform and hydraulic motor that raises a ladder and turns it on a ladder truck.

water cannon a cannon capable of shooting water up to 500 feet. Also known as a deluge gun.

funeral services

algor mortis the cooling of the body after death.

arrangement room in a funeral home, a room where the family meets with the funeral director to make burial arrangements.

aspiration the removal of abdominal fluid or gases from the deceased.

bereaved those mourning the deceased. burial case see casket.

burial certificate a legal permit authorizing burial.

burial vault a container that holds a casket after burial to help prevent the collapse of a grave.

casket a long boxlike container made of wood, metal, or plastic in which the deceased is placed for burial. Also known as a coffin or burial case.

casket coach see hearse.

casket veil a transparent veil draped over the casket to prevent flies from landing on the deceased.

catafalque a draped framework on which a casket rests during a funeral service and while the deceased awaits burial.

coffin see casket.

columbarium a vault with multiple niches for hold­ing urns containing cremains.

coroner a medical officer who investigates and determines cause of death, especially if anything other than natural causes are suspected.

cortege a funeral procession.

cosmetology the art of applying cosmetics to the deceased to make him or her appear lifelike.

cremains the ashes and remains of the deceased after cremation.

cremation the burning of a corpse to reduce it to bone fragments, which are then pulverized.

crematory a furnace for burning dead bodies. Also, the building that houses such a furnace.

crypt a vault used to hold remains.

death certificate a legal document signed by an attending physician registering the cause of death.

death notice a small notice on the obituary page of a newspaper announcing a death and scheduled funeral services.

deceased dead. Also, one who has died.

disinter to dig up or remove the remains of the dead from its burial or holding place.

disposition the final resting place for the body or remains of the deceased.

door badge a spray of flowers hung from the bereaved's doorway to announce a death in the family.

embalm to disinfect and temporarily preserve the deceased by injecting the veins and arteries with pre­serving and antiseptic fluids.

embalmer one who works to disinfect and tempo­rarily preserve the body of the deceased through the use of chemicals.

entombment placement of the deceased in a mau­soleum.

exhume to dig up the remains of the deceased from the burial site.

family car the limousine the immediate family members of the deceased ride in during a procession to the cemetery.

family room in a funeral home, a room where fam­ily members may retire to grieve in private.