undertaker

C2 Topic:Word Formation & Derivatives

US /ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Freq #16012

Meanings

1

noun
one whose business is the management of funerals

The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.
2

noun
A funeral director; someone whose business is to manage funerals, burials and cremations.

The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.
3

noun
A person receiving land in Ireland during the Elizabethan era, so named because they gave an undertaking to abide by several conditions regarding marriage, to be loyal to the crown, and to use English as their spoken language.

In 1588, Edmund Spenser became an undertaker in the first Elizabethan plantation, receiving the forfeited Irish estate of Kilcolman Castle.
4

noun
A contractor for the royal revenue in England, one of those who undertook to manage the House of Commons for the king in the Addled Parliament of 1614.

The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · one whose business is the... mortician

2 noun · a funeral director; someone... cold cookmortician

Word family

Derived forms undertaker'sundertakerishundertakerly

Related forms undertake undertaking

Etymology

From undertake (verb) + -er.

Topics

Word Formation & Derivatives General Vocabulary

External links

# undertaker

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 16012

## Meanings
1. one whose business is the management of funerals
2. A funeral director; someone whose business is to manage funerals, burials and cremations.
3. A person receiving land in Ireland during the Elizabethan era, so named because they gave an undertaking to abide by several conditions regarding marriage, to be loyal to the crown, and to use English as their spoken language.
4. A contractor for the royal revenue in England, one of those who undertook to manage the House of Commons for the king in the Addled Parliament of 1614.

## Examples
- The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.
- The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.
- In 1588, Edmund Spenser became an undertaker in the first Elizabethan plantation, receiving the forfeited Irish estate of Kilcolman Castle.
- The undertaker arranged the burial before noon.

## Synonyms
- mortician
- cold cook

## Derived Forms
- undertaker's
- undertakerish
- undertakerly

## Related Forms
- undertake
- undertaking

## Etymology
From undertake (verb) + -er.

## Topics
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- General Vocabulary

markdown