ash
1
[ ash ]
/ æʃ /
noun
the powdery residue of matter that remains after burning.
Also called volcanic ash. Geology.
finely pulverized lava thrown out by a volcano in eruption.
a light, silvery-gray color.
ashes,
- deathlike grayness; extreme pallor suggestive of death.
- ruins, especially the residue of something destroyed; remains; vestiges: the ashes of their love; the ashes of the past.
- mortal remains, especially the physical or corporeal body as liable to decay.
- anything, as an act, gesture, speech, or feeling, that is symbolic of penance, regret, remorse, or the like.
Origin of ash
1
before 950; Middle English
a(i)sshe, Old English
asce, æsce; cognate with Frisian
esk, Dutch
asch, Old Norse, Old High German
aska (German
Asche), Gothic
azgo < Germanic
*askōn- (with Goth unexplained); akin to Latin
ārēre be dry (see
arid), Tocharian
ās- get dry, Sanskrit
ā́sa- ashes, Hittite
hassi on the hearth; < Indo-European
*HaHs-
OTHER WORDS FROM ash
ash·i·ness, noun ash·less, adjectiveWords nearby ash
Definition for ashes (2 of 2)
ash
2
[ ash ]
/ æʃ /
noun
any of various trees of the genus Fraxinus, of the olive family, especially F. excelsior, of Europe and Asia, or F. americana (white ash), of North America, having opposite, pinnate leaves and purplish flowers in small clusters.
the tough, straight-grained wood of any of these trees, valued as timber.
Also æsc.
the symbol “æ.”
Origin of ash
2
before 900; Middle English
asshe, Old English
æsc; cognate with Frisian
esk, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch
asch, Old Saxon, Old High German
asc (German
Esche, with altered vowel from the adj. derivative
eschen, Middle High German
eschîn), Old Norse
askr; akin to Latin
ornus, Welsh
onnen, Russian
yásenʾ, Czech
jasan, Lithuanian
úosis, Armenian
hatsʰi; Albanian
ah beech; < Indo-European
*Hoes-
Example sentences from the Web for ashes
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (1 of 6)
ashes
/ (ˈæʃɪz) /
pl n
ruins or remains, as after destruction or burning
the city was left in ashes
the remains of a human body after cremation
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (2 of 6)
Ashes
/ (ˈæʃɪz) /
pl n
the Ashes
a cremated cricket stump in a pottery urn now preserved at Lord's. Victory or defeat in test matches between England and Australia is referred to as winning, losing, or retaining the Ashes
Word Origin for Ashes
from the mock obituary of English cricket in
The Times in 1882 after a great Australian victory at the Oval, in which it was said that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (3 of 6)
ash
1
/ (æʃ) /
noun
the nonvolatile products and residue formed when matter is burnt
any of certain compounds formed by burning
See soda ash
fine particles of lava thrown out by an erupting volcano
a light silvery grey colour, often with a brownish tinge
See also
ashes
Other words from ash
Related adjective: cinereousWord Origin for ash
Old English
æsce; related to Old Norse, Old High German
aska, Gothic
azgō, Latin
aridus dry
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (4 of 6)
ash
2
/ (æʃ) /
noun
any oleaceous tree of the genus Fraxinus, esp F. excelsior of Europe and Asia, having compound leaves, clusters of small greenish flowers, and winged seeds
the close-grained durable wood of any of these trees, used for tool handles, etc
any of several trees resembling the ash, such as the mountain ash
Australian
any of several Australian trees resembling the ash, esp of the eucalyptus genus
Word Origin for ash
Old English
æsc; related to Old Norse
askr, Old Saxon, Old High German
ask, Lithuanian
uosis
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (5 of 6)
ash
3
/ (æʃ) /
noun
the digraph æ, as in Old English, representing a front vowel approximately like that of the a in Modern English hat. The character is also used to represent this sound in the International Phonetic Alphabet
British Dictionary definitions for ashes (6 of 6)
ASH
/ (æʃ) /
n acronym for (in Britain)
Action on Smoking and Health