a wooden machine for carrying the bodies of the dead to the place of interment. The word comes from the French bière, which signifies the same thing. It is called in Latin feretrum, from ferendo. Among the Romans the common bier, on which the poorer sort were carried, was called sundapila; that used for the richer sort lectica, lecica funebris, and sometimes lectus. The former was only a wooden chest, vilis area, which was burnt with the body; the latter was enriched with gilding and other ornaments. It was carried bare or uncovered when the person died a natural and easy death; when he was much disfigured or distorted it was veiled or covered over.