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

Then too, she has her mother’s ashes in storage, next to a vintage Pee-wee Herman doll in its original packaging.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“We had to wait until the ashes cooled down to make sure we weren’t leaving buttons or anything identifying about it, and the funeral home would take care of the rest,” Bennett said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

One customer loved Damburger so much that his family asked after his death if they could spread some of his ashes in the restaurant’s flower beds.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

At the time 35 bodies and the ashes of at least 163 people were recovered from the Hessle Road site.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

When I got to Mattie, her lips were as purple as the spring crocus, her skin the color of wet ashes.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson