embalm

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To treat (a corpse) with preservatives in order to prevent decay.
2. v. To protect from change or oblivion; preserve or fix: "A precedent embalms a principle” ( Benjamin Disraeli).
3. v. To impart fragrance to; perfume: Spicy aromas embalmed the air.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To dress or anoint with balm; specifically, to preserve from decay by means of balsams or other aromatic spices; keep from putrefaction by impregnating with spices, gums, and chemicals, as a dead body. The ancient process was to open the body, remove the viscera, and fill the cavities with antiseptic spices and drugs. (See mummy.) In modern times many substances and methods have been employed in embalming, as by injection of arsenical preparations into the blood-vessels, generally with a view only to the preservation of the body for a certain period, as during transportation to a distant point, or instead of refrigeration in hot weather during the ordinary interval before burial.
2. Hence To preserve from neglect or decay; preserve in memory.
3. To impart fragrance to; fill with sweet scent.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To treat a corpse with preservatives in order to prevent decomposition
2. v. transitive To perfume or add fragrance to something

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To anoint all over with balm; especially, to preserve from decay by means of balm or other aromatic oils, or spices; to fill or impregnate (a dead body), with aromatics and drugs that it may resist putrefaction.
2. v. To fill or imbue with sweet odor; to perfume.
3. v. To preserve from decay or oblivion as if with balm; to perpetuate in remembrance.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. preserve a dead body