A tombstone is the stone that stands on a grave. It has the dead person's name on it, the year they were born and the year they died, and often a short line — a few words from the family, or from the Bible.

A tombstone is the stone that stands on a gravetombstone 是立在墳墓上的石頭。It has the dead person's name on it上面刻著死者的名字、 the year they were born and the year they died出生年和過世年， and often a short line通常還有一小段話——a few words from the family, or from the Bible可能是家人寫的幾句話，或是聖經裡的句子。

In everyday talk, 'tombstone', 'gravestone' and 'headstone' all mean the same thing, and nobody will correct you for picking one over the others. If there is a difference at all, it is that 'headstone' points at where the stone sits (at the head of the grave), and 'tombstone' is the one people reach for first when speaking.

In everyday talk在日常說法裡， 'tombstone', 'gravestone' and 'headstone' all mean the same thing 'tombstone'、'gravestone'、'headstone' 都是同一個意思， and nobody will correct you for picking one over the others用哪一個都不會有人糾正你。If there is a difference at all如果真的要說有什麼不同， it is that 'headstone' points at where the stone sits (at the head of the grave)那就是 'headstone' 強調的是石頭放的位置（在墳墓的頭部）， and 'tombstone' is the one people reach for first when speaking而 'tombstone' 是大家講話時第一個會想到的說法。

Note that a 'tomb' is a whole grave — sometimes a big stone room you can walk into — so a tombstone is not the tomb, only the stone that names it.

Note that要注意 a 'tomb' is a whole grave'tomb' 是指整座墳墓——sometimes a big stone room you can walk into有時候是一間可以走進去的大石室——so a tombstone is not the tomb所以 tombstone 不是墳墓本身， only the stone that names it只是標示這座墳墓的那塊石頭。

The word also gets used for things that are simply shaped like one: an upright rectangle with a rounded top. Printers call a certain kind of financial newspaper notice a 'tombstone ad', because the plain block of text sitting on the page looks like one.

The word also gets used for things that are simply shaped like one這個字也會用來形容長得像墓碑的東西： an upright rectangle with a rounded top就是上面圓弧、直立的長方形。Printers call a certain kind of financial newspaper notice a 'tombstone ad'印刷業把某一種財經報紙上的公告叫做 'tombstone ad'（墓碑廣告）， because the plain block of text sitting on the page looks like one因為那一整塊排在版面上的樸素文字，看起來就像一塊墓碑。

And people say a word or a project 'has a tombstone on it' when it is finished and dead — that use is a little dark, and a little funny, on purpose.

And people say a word or a project 'has a tombstone on it' when it is finished and dead而人們會說一個詞或一個計畫「has a tombstone on it（立了墓碑）」，意思是它已經結束、死透了—— that use is a little dark, and a little funny, on purpose這種說法故意帶點黑色幽默。