white ash

noun

See under ash2(def 1).

Origin of white ash

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85

Words nearby white ash

white alert, white alkali, white ant, white area, white as a sheet, white ash, white aspen, white australia policy, white bacon, white bass, white bear

Definition for white ash (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 white ash

British Dictionary definitions for white ash (1 of 4)

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: cinereous

Word Origin for ash

Old English æsce; related to Old Norse, Old High German aska, Gothic azgō, Latin aridus dry

British Dictionary definitions for white ash (2 of 4)

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 white ash (3 of 4)

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 white ash (4 of 4)

ASH
/ (æʃ) /

n acronym for (in Britain)

Action on Smoking and Health