From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcatafalquecat‧a‧falque /ˈkætəfælk/ noun [countable] formal MXa decorated raised structure on which the dead body of an important person is placed before their funeralOrigin catafalque (1600-1700) Italian catafalco, from Vulgar Latin catafalicum “stage, platform, scaffold”, from Greek kata- ( → CATACLYSM) + Latin fala “movable wooden structure for attacking towns”
