Terms: Cremation

Cremation usually* involves the use of intense heat and flame to incinerate a dead body — whether the corpse of a human or an animal — and reduce it to bone fragments. After pulverizing the remaining fragments mechanically to create a uniform texture and consistency, the cremated remains (also known as “ashes” or “cremains”) are generally returned to the deceased’s family.

* Because two alternative methods of body disposal — alkaline hydrolysis, and promession — do not require intense heat or flame, the Cremation Association of North America suggests a slightly broader definition of cremation: “The mechanical and/or thermal or other dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments.”

Source:
“What is Cremation?” www.cremationassociation.org. Retrieved January 1, 2017. http://www.cremationassociation.org/?page=WhatIsCremation