People often use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences between the two.
A graveyard is a area specifically set aside for burials, usually associated with a church. It may also have rules and regulations regarding the headstones that are used. It is a much more permanent setting than a natural burial site.
Definition
A graveyard is a place where people are buried after they die. The term may also refer to the grave itself, which is usually a stone marker with a name, date of death and possibly some other information.
Cemeteries and graveyards have been around for thousands of years. Early burials took place outside of cities, but as cities grew, people tended to build cemeteries closer to churches. This is why the terms cemetery and graveyard are sometimes used interchangeably, even though they have different histories.
Before the 7th century, Christian burials were only allowed on church property, which was called a churchyard. When this became unsustainable, completely separate places for burying people started appearing, which were not affiliated with any church and therefore did not have to be located within the boundaries of a church. These new locations were called graveyards.
Origin
In the Middle Ages, wealthy or otherwise influential Christians were generally interred inside a church after they died, often in a crypt beneath the floor. Less well-off congregants were buried in the yard outside, which came to be known as the graveyard.
The more modern word cemetery comes from the Greek koimeterion, meaning sleeping place, but it came into use only after church-affiliated graveyards began to fill up and it became necessary to create new burial grounds elsewhere. The two words are often used interchangeably, though cemetery is sometimes preferred because it suggests a more secular site.
If you’ve ever worked late into the night, you may have pulled a graveyard shift. This spooky sounding term, however, does not refer to working a graveyard (though it could). Instead, the term originates from a combination of the phrases saved by the bell and dead ringer, both of which refer to late-night work. The phrase is also associated with a number of other spooky movies, including Jaws and Alien.
Meaning
Graveyards are important places for people to bury their dead. They help the community to feel at peace with their loss and come together in celebration of the lives of those buried there.
A graveyard can be a frightening place for readers to encounter, which can build tension and fear in your story. Using the adjective “chilling” helps to portray your readers’ discomfort in this setting, allowing you to evoke feelings of horror and fear in them.
The varied architectural styles of a cemetery can provide inspiration for your writing. Grecian urns rub shoulders with Egyptian obelisks, and Celtic crosses with angels and plinths. These monuments can represent your characters’ beliefs and ideas in a funereal way, letting you convey their personalities through the various symbols on their tombstones. These examples are programmed from corpora and may not reflect the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Usage
Graveyard is a powerful card that can be very effective in decks that rely on Skeletons or spells. However, it can be a difficult card to play well against. It requires a lot of knowledge and skill to use effectively.
In order to counter a Graveyard, players should build their decks with units that can deal damage quickly. These include Guards, Lumberjack, Witch, Minions, and Barbarians. These units are fast and have high hitpoints, making them good counters to the Graveyard.
Also, it is important to have cards in your deck that can be used as Poison bait. This can prevent your opponent from saving their Poison for defense and will make it harder for them to defend against your Graveyard. A good way to do this is by playing a card like Saheeli, Sublime Artificer. He is fast and has a large range, which makes him an excellent counter to the Graveyard. However, he is also susceptible to Poison.