Tombstone Carvings
If you find a stone and it has Latin wording on it - which is seldom found in the old family cemetery - here are a few of the more frequently used expressions:

       Anno Domini - (AD) - in the year of our Lord
       circa (c., ca., circ.) - about
       Esse - is
       E t alii (et al) - and others
       Fugit hora - the hour is fleeting
       Mortalem - mortal
       Mememto - recall, remember
       Memento mori - remember that you must die
       oblit (ob) - he died, she died
       nepos - grandson
       requiescat in pace (RIP) - may he/she rest in peace
       sic - so, thus
       te - that
       testes - witnesses
       ultimo (ult) - last, final
       uxor (us, vx) - wife
       videlicet (viz, vitzt) - namely
       consort - man was living at the time of death (husband)
       relict - widow
       Junior/Senior. - Does not mean that Sr was the father of Jr. Used also to distinguish between 2 people with the same names in the same area -  uncle/nephew, etc.
       Esquire - came from the 1600's in England.
                  In England, someone who held the ablity to bear arms. Next in line after a knight, or one who deserved special social respect.
                  In America, it could refer to a politician, lawyer, judge, wealthy landowner, clergyman or someone just respected.
       Gentleman - Signified a man of elite birth who was socially situated just under the rank of Esquire.

       Mrs. - did not always mean wife. In Europe meant a member of the upper class - a woman of gentle birth, married or single.
       Goodman/Goodwife (sometimes just called goody) - the head of a household, male or female - in the South sometimes referred to as colonel. No military rank meant - plantation owners often referred to as Colonel.
       * - born
       (*) - illegitimate
       X - baptized or christened
       O - engaged
       OO - married (two circles touched)
       O/O - divorced/separated
       O-) - common law marriage
TOMBSTONE CARVINGS:
     When our loved ones die, we take great care to buy a stone that is an honor to the deceased. However, many times today, there are just standard stones with possibly a sketch of an open Bible, a heart, or some simple design with the name and dates engraved. In older times however, everything on the stone meant something and great care was used to pick just the right message. In many sources, I have seen a list similar to this which indicated what some of the engravings meant.

Angels/cherubs        Angelic                
Arch                Victory in Death        
Arrow                Mortality        
Bible/book open        Deceased was minister or teacher, or faith of the deceased
Birds:
  Dove                Purity, love, innocence, gentlement         
Flying                Flight of the soul to heaven
Eagles w/stars  & stripes        Liberty, vigilance
Bugles                Resurrection - "We shall live again" - the great resurrection morn. Also could represent someone with military background.
Butterfly        The shortness of life - sometimes an early death
Candle being extinguished        Time, mortality.
Coffin                Motality
Column - broken        The head of the household
Corn                Ripeness - old age
Cross                Symbol of faith
Darts                Mortality
Father Time        Mortality
Flowers                Grief, sorrow or condolences
Flowers -
  Morning glory        The beginning of life
  Lily/Lily of Valley Innocence and Purity
Fruit                Plenty of eternity
Garlands        Victory even in death
Gates/Portals        Passage to eternal life
Handshakes        Farewell  of God
chopping        Sudden death
Heart                Love of Christ or eternal bliss
Ivy                Immortality or friendship
Harp                Praise to the Creator
Hourglass        The quick passage of time and life
Imps                Mortality
Lamb                Youth or innocence
Laurel                Victory or fame
Leaves - Oak & Acorns        Old age, maturity
Palm Branch        Rejoicing and victory - as in Palm Sunday.
Poppy                Sleep - rest
Ring - broken        The family circle has been broken
Roses                The brevity of our earthly existence
Rose(full)        Died in the prime of life
Rosebuds        Renewal of Life or the morning of life
Shells                The pilgrimage of life
Ships or anchors        Someone who had a seafaring experince or hope - "our anchor rests"
Shovels                Mortality
Swords Crossed        Military person of high rank
Thistles        In rememberance
Tombs                Mortality
Torch upside down The extinction of life
Trees                Life
  Willows        The sorrow of earth, sorrow
  Stump w/ ivy        The head of the family or immortality
Trumpets/Horns        Heralding the resurrection
Urn blazing        Undying friendship or love
Wreath/crepe        Mourning
Wheat Sheaf        The divine harvest, ripe for harvest, time
These are from Sandi Gorin. I combined 2 tips on this so it would be easier to keep up with. 
(c) Copyright 28 Aug 1997, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights reserved.
TIP#89 - ONE LAST EPISTLE ON TOMB STONES
TIP#80 - RESEARCH RAMBLINGS
My Library