n.
Pronunciation: ' ka-t ə - ˌ fo ̇ (l)k, - ˌ falk
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian catafalco, from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum scaffold, from cata- + Latin fala siege tower
Date: 1641
1 : an ornamental structure sometimes used in funerals for the lying in state of the body
2 : a pall-covered coffin-shaped structure used at requiem masses celebrated after burial