ember

American  

[em-ber] / ˈɛm bər /

noun

1. a small live piece of coal, wood, etc., as in a dying fire.

2. embers, the smoldering remains of a fire.

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ember British  

/ ˈɛmbə /

noun

1. a glowing or smouldering piece of coal or wood, as in a dying fire

2. the fading remains of a past emotion

   the embers of his love

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Etymology

Origin of ember

before 1000; Middle English eemer, emeri, Old English ǣmerge, ǣmyrie (cognate with Old Norse eimyrja, Old High German eimuria ), equivalent to ǣm- (cognate with Old Norse eimr steam) + -erge, -yrie, akin to Old English ys ( e ) le ember, Latin ūrere to burn

Explanation

An ember is a little piece of wood or coal in a fire that's dying. Embers are hot and glowing. When the fire is out and the embers are glowing, it’s time to call it a night. Embers (usually plural) are smoldering pieces of wood or coal — usually very small — that burn brightly as a fire starts to fade. When you see embers, the fire isn’t finished yet, but it’s almost done. If you’re camping and you put out a fire, don’t leave it alone until the embers go out, too. People also use embers as a metaphor for other things that are starting to fade, like the last embers of a dying friendship.

Example Sentences

Exports of solar equipment from China—the largest producer of solar components by far—doubled in March from February levels, according to Ember, an energy think tank.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

More recently, the electric inter-city bus operator Ember has seen its fleet in Scotland grow to about 100 vehicles.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“China was already completely the dominant force,” said Euan Graham, an analyst at Ember, a clean-energy think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The delay is "a worryingly backward-looking political signal", while "any security gain is far from guaranteed", Beatrice Petrovich, senior energy analyst at energy think tank Ember, told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Most people in Ember had potatoes at every meal—mashed, boiled, stewed, roasted.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

Related Words

• ash
• cinder