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• ashes
  ashes

  plural noun

  ruins or remains, as after destruction or burning
• Ashes
  Ashes

  plural noun

  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

ashes

¹ British  

/ ˈæʃɪz /

plural noun

1. ruins or remains, as after destruction or burning

   the city was left in ashes

2. the remains of a human body after cremation

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Ashes ² British  

/ ˈæʃɪz /

plural noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of 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

Example Sentences

Ruth’s mother told her that when she dies, her wishes are to have her ashes mixed with her husband’s and spread at one of their favorite places.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

But the kids kept going to school in Altadena, and the family visited their lot almost daily to sift through the ashes and, later, to watch the rebuilding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

On top of the cathedral, amid ashes swirling in the wind, workers were already setting up a new roof to protect the building and its collection of icons.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

David Bishop, 60, planned to collect the ashes of former miner John from Gwent Crematorium and take them to Nottinghamshire so they could be laid beside his late mum.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

James taught Sammy how to put out a fire properly; how to cover it with dirt and then stamp on it and wait, to be sure no telltale smoke rose from the ashes.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt