ash

[ash]

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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

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-

Related formsash·i·ness, nounash·less, adjective

ash

[ash]

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

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-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ash

powder, soot, dust, slag, charcoal, cinders, remains, rubble, debris, remnants, relics, ruins

Examples from the Web for ash

Contemporary Examples of ash

The JMG office that just a few days ago received victims of human rights abuse is now empty, covered in black ash.
Putin’s Favorite Acolyte Terrorizes Human Rights Activists
Anna Nemtsova
December 14, 2014
Brash, crass, and sporting a perpetually raised eyebrow, Ash Williams remains the ultimate postmodern superhero.
The King of Postmodern Cool Is Reborn in ‘Ash Vs. The Evil Dead’
Nick Schager
November 15, 2014
Volcanoes spewed lava and ash, ocean floors were thrust upward, sand and rock and shale settled into slurry.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards
Clive Irving
August 31, 2014
The company says this produces wood that ignites easier and burns cleaner, with less creosote and ash.
Brooklyn’s Booming Firewood Industry
Dale Eisinger
July 8, 2014
Lava and ash fell for days; the sun was obliterated for three months.
Book a Room for Two in a Santorini Cave
Joanna Eede
June 10, 2014

Historical Examples of ash

The sword shall belong to him who can draw it from the ash tree's heart.
Opera Stories from Wagner
Florence Akin
For ash, however, the actual character 'æ' represents the long vowel.
Beowulf
Unknown
A stick parted and fell into ash, and Miss Susan came awake.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
Being tired, they lay down under an ash tree and fell asleep.
Classic Myths
Mary Catherine Judd
Athens,—except for that sparkle,—thy name, I had moldered to ash!
Graded Poetry: Second Year
Various

British Dictionary definitions for ash

ash

noun

the nonvolatile products and residue formed when matter is burnt

any of certain compounds formed by burningSee soda ash

fine particles of lava thrown out by an erupting volcano

a light silvery grey colour, often with a brownish tinge

Word Origin for ash

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

ash

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

ash

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

ASH

n acronym for (in Britain)

Action on Smoking and Health

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ash

n.1

"powdery remains of fire," Old English æsce "ash," from Proto-Germanic *askon (cf. Old Norse and Swedish aska, Old High German asca, German asche, Gothic azgo "ashes"), from PIE root *as- "to burn, glow" (cf. Sanskrit asah "ashes, dust," Armenian azazem "I dry up," Greek azein "to dry up, parch," Latin ardus "parched, dry"). Spanish and Portuguese ascua "red-hot coal" are Germanic loan-words.

Symbol of grief or repentance; hence Ash Wednesday (c.1300), from custom introduced by Pope Gregory the Great of sprinkling ashes on the heads of penitents on the first day of Lent. Ashes meaning "mortal remains of a person" is late 13c., in reference to the ancient custom of cremation.

n.2

type of tree, Old English æsc "ash tree," also "spear made of ash wood," from Proto-Germanic *askaz, *askiz (cf. Old Norse askr, Old Saxon ask, Middle Dutch esce, German Esche), from PIE root *os- "ash tree" (cf. Armenian haci "ash tree," Albanian ah "beech," Greek oxya "beech," Latin ornus "wild mountain ash," Russian jasen, Lithuanian uosis "ash"). Ash was the preferred wood for spear-shafts, so Old English æsc sometimes meant "spear" (cf. æsc-here "company armed with spears").