ash

[ ash ]

See synonyms for: ash ashes on Thesaurus.com

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

First recorded 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, from unattested Germanic askōn- (with Gothic form unexplained); akin to Latin ārēre “to be dry” (see arid) and āra “altar,” Oscan aasaí “on the altar,” Tocharian ās- “to get dry,” Sanskrit ā́sa- “ashes,” Hittite hassi “on the hearth”; from Proto-Indo-European root as- “to burn, glow” (unattested)

Other words from ash

ash·i·ness, noun
ashless, adjective

Words Nearby ash

Other definitions for ash (2 of 2)

ash²

[ 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

First recorded 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 adjective derivative eschen, Middle High German eschîn ), Old Norse askr; akin to Latin ornus, Welsh onnen, Russian yáseń, Polish jesion, Czech jasan, Lithuanian úosis, Armenian hatsʰi; Albanian ah “beech,” from Proto-Indo-European ōs, os “ash (tree)” (unattested)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ash in a sentence

Propped upright by tree limbs cast in bronze, it is directed toward a giant ash tree.
Sculpture parks are a great way to see art during a pandemic. Here’s why some are better than others. | Sebastian Smee | February 11, 2021 | Washington Post
This deposit may have resulted from an explosive eruption that blanketed the area in ash.
Rumbles on Mars Raise Hopes of Underground Magma Flows | Robin George Andrews | February 1, 2021 | Quanta Magazine
Though you use regular firewood, there is “nearly no smoke and minimal ash left over.”
Gift Guide: How to turn your outdoor space into a year-round living room | Lee Clifford | November 27, 2020 | Fortune
Recent Georgia Power tests of groundwater show that coal ash contaminants appear to be migrating out of the ponds at some plant sites, according to experts who reviewed company filings.
A Power Company’s Quiet Land-Buying Spree Could Shield It From Coal Ash Cleanup Costs | by Max Blau for Georgia Health News | November 24, 2020 | ProPublica
They died together at the villa of Civita Giuliana, probably while trying to flee or seek better shelter from a dense, fast-moving cloud of superheated volcanic gas and ash.
Archaeologists find two more bodies among the ruins of Pompeii | Kiona N. Smith | November 23, 2020 | Ars Technica

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 | THE DAILY BEAST
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 | THE DAILY BEAST
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 DAILY BEAST
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 | THE DAILY BEAST
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 | THE DAILY BEAST
In roots and tubers the variations are less, and all, except the potato and the turnip, contain about seven per cent of ash.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
Saussure has also observed that the quantity of ash diminishes in certain plants when the seed has ripened.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
Thus, it has been found that in early spring the wood of the young shoots of the horse-chesnut contains 9·9 per cent of ash.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
The lighter the color of the tobacco the lighter the ash and the milder the flavor of the cigar.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
Silica is an invariable constituent of the ash, but in most plants occurs but in small quantity.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for ash (1 of 4)

ash¹

/ (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

Origin of ash

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

Other words from ash

Related adjective: cinereous

See also ashes

British Dictionary definitions for ash (2 of 4)

ash²

/ (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

Origin of ash

Old English æsc; related to Old Norse askr, Old Saxon, Old High German ask, Lithuanian uosis

British Dictionary definitions for ash (3 of 4)

ash³

/ (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 ASH (4 of 4)

ASH

/ (æʃ) /

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

Browse