Complete Guide to Headstone and Monument Terms and Meanings

​If you’re looking into buying any kind of headstone or memorial, you may come across the following terms…
Additional Inscription: An extra inscription engraved on a headstone or monument which already has an inscription.
Book-Shaped Headstone: A headstone designed in the shape and look of a book, either open or closed.
Burial: Placing a casket or coffin into a grave (also see ‘Interment’).
Cabinet: A display cabinet, usually with a glass front, placed on or next to a memorial. The cabinet often contains some of the deceased’s possessions, or mementos from the deceased’s life, but may also be used to display an oil lamp.
Chapel-Shaped Headstone: A headstone in the shape of a chapel or temple.
Desk Tablet: A block of stone or concrete with a sloping front face. The inscription can be on the stone, or on a plaque attached to the stone (also see ‘Sloper’).
Double Full Monument: A memorial for the interment of 2 people (often a couple). Generally, the monument is built and inscribed when the first member of the couple passes away, with a space left on the monument for an additional inscription on the passing of the other person.
Engraving: The carving of text into the monument stone.
Epitaph: A short message in memory of the deceased, usually inscribed on a headstone.
Flat Grave Marker: A tablet made of either stone or bronze, which is set flat into the ground.
Flat Tablet: A block of stone or concrete with a flat top. The inscription can be on the stone, or on a plaque attached to the stone.
Footstone: A small slab of stone placed at the foot of a grave, often with initials.
Full Monument:  A full monument includes the headstone and base at the head of the grave, as well as a kerb (providing a ‘border’ or boundary for the entire grave), and either a full-length cover stone (or slab) over the length of the grave or, alternatively, chipping or a garden bed covering the grave.
Grave: The site in the cemetery where the coffin/casket containing the deceased will be or has been placed.
Grave Marker: An object used to mark a gravesite.
Gravestone: A stone marker placed over, or at the head of, a grave. The gravestone usually sits atop a stone base, and has details about the deceased inscribed on it (see also ‘Headstone’ and ‘Tombstone’).
Headstone: A stone marker placed over, or at the head of, a grave. The headstone usually sits atop a stone base, and has details about the deceased inscribed on it (see also ‘Gravestone’ and ‘Tombstone’).
Infill: The covering of the area within the grave kerbing. Frequently granite chips or a ledger slab.
Inscription: The wording engraved on the headstone.
Interment: Placing a casket or coffin into a grave (also see ‘Burial’).
Kerb / Kerbing: The stone or concrete surround enclosing a burial allotment.
Ledger Slab: A rigid solid covering generally of stone lying either on top or within the monument kerbing.
Memorial: A structure – such as a headstone or monument – built to honour the memory of a person.
Monument: The entire physical memorial, which could be a headstone and base, or could be a more elaborate full monument.
Monumental Mason: A stonemason who specialises in creating, installing and repairing headstones and monuments.
Notch: A square shaped cut made in the top of a headstone.
Plaque: An inscribed metal plate attached to a burial monument.
Serpentine-Shaped Headstone: A headstone with a curved or rounded top which resembles the shape of a snake.
Sloper: A block of stone or concrete with a sloping front face. The inscription can be on the stone, or on a plaque attached to the stone (also see ‘Desk Tablet’).
Tablet: A thin stone slab attached to a monument, typically with a memorial inscription.
Triple Full Monument: A full monument for the interment of 3 people.
Tombstone: A stone marker placed over, or at the head of, a grave. The tombstone usually sits atop a stone base, and has details about the deceased inscribed on it (see also ‘Headstone’ and ‘Gravestone’).