Illustration of ash
- 1ash 1
1
: any of a genus (Fraxinus) of trees of the olive family with pinnate leaves, thin furrowed bark, and gray branchlets
2
: the tough elastic wood of an ash
3
[Old English æsc, name of the corresponding runic letter]
: the ligature æ used in Old English and some phonetic alphabets to represent a low front vowel \a\
often attributive
1
: something that symbolizes grief, repentance, or humiliation
2
a
: the solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned or is oxidized by chemical means
b
: fine particles of mineral matter from a volcanic vent
3
ashes plural
: the remains of the dead human body after cremation or disintegration
4
ashes plural
: deathly pallor
the lip of ashes and the cheek of flame—
Lord Byron
Lord Byron5
ashed; ashing; ashes
1
technical
: to convert into ash
The insoluble resid fractions are ashed at 800°C to constant weight.—Joseph Haggin
Joseph Haggin2
: to remove ash residue from (something, such as a cigarette) usually by flicking or tapping
She ashed her cigarette onto a patch of dirt floor, then handed it to me.—Dominic Smith
Dominic Smith3
: to apply ash to : to coat with ashes
The rules that once governed the way the game was played had been burnt to the ground, and the earth was salted and ashed for good measure.—Ani Bundel
Ani BundelIt's a cow's milk soft cheese that's ashed on the outside. (It's kind of like a goth brie.)—Erin Edwards
Erin EdwardsExamples of ash in a Sentence
Noun (2)
a new and more splendid city was built on the ashes of the old
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
The Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit said the home remains standing but was infiltrated by soot, ash and fire debris carried inside through a broken window.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Santina Contreras, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2025
Other ways to reuse the tree include: Burning the wood to ash your garden.
Making firewood.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ash
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Noun
The potters who worked under Wilson’s direction mostly used alkaline glaze, one of the oldest methods in ceramics, to create a glassy exterior from a slurry of wood ash, sand and clay.
—Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
The Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit said the home remains standing but was infiltrated by soot, ash and fire debris carried inside through a broken window.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
The 2025 Los Angeles wildfires reduced more than 15,000 structures to ash in a matter of days.
—Santina Contreras, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2025
Other ways to reuse the tree include: Burning the wood to ash your garden.
Making firewood.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ash
Cite this Entry
“Ash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ash. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ash
1 of 2 noun1
: any of a genus of trees related to the olive and having bark with grooves and ridges and winged seeds
2
: the hard strong wood of an ash
ash
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the solid that remains after material is thoroughly burned or is oxidized by chemical means
b
: fine particles of mineral matter from a volcanic vent
2
plural
: the remains of something destroyed : ruins
3
plural
: the remains of the dead human body especially after cremation
Etymology
Noun
Old English æsc "ash tree"
Noun
Old English asce "the remains of something burned"
Medical Definition
ash
nounoften attributive
1
: the solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned or is oxidized by chemical means
2
ashes plural
: the remains of the dead human body after cremation or disintegration
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