A funeral term to describe a small storage container that holds the remains of a loved one
According to its technical definition, an urn is simply a vase of any size containing the deceased’s cremated remains.
People generally understand the word “urn” to mean a storage container that holds the ashes of someone’s loved ones.
A standard urn is designed to be taller than wide and maintains a relatively round shape with a narrow neck (unlike a wine bottle, which shares the narrow neck feature with an urn but is otherwise cylindrical).
The second-most popular design for an urn is a rectangular box. As with any vase, however, one need not be limited to a certain shape. All shapes are possible.
Urns may also come equipped with one or more dividers to allow the placement of more than one set of ashes in the same urn.
An urn may be made from a wide variety of materials. In recent years, biodegradable materials have surged in popularity. This is happening partly because of an increasing awareness of the environmental impact of such items.
The other reason is that ashes are increasingly being used in non-conventional ways (scattered, planted, or released in water). These two purposes require different types of urns. For reference, the traditional urn is built to be stored inside a house or columbarium indefinitely.
The process of putting ashes or cremated remains into an urn is called “inurnment.”
