Sarkophagos combined flesh with eating. It described a limestone believed to speed the decomposition of a body. The name travelled through Latin; in English it first named the material and later the stone coffin itself.
The decomposition claim explains an ancient name; it is not presented as a scientific property of stone.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster · sarcophagus
Dictionary word history; the component and historical references below supply additional detail.
- Online Etymology Dictionary · sarcophagus
Historical forms, meanings, and context for the route described here.
- Merriam-Webster · -phagous
Meaning of the component used in this puzzle.