ember

American  

[em-ber] / ˈɛm bər /

noun

• embers
  plural

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

2. embers, the smoldering remains of a fire.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• embers
  plural

---

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

See Examples For:

ember embers

A non-combustible perimeter using materials like gravel, free of plants, wooden decks and furniture, to stop windblown ember ignitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

A non-combustible perimeter using materials like gravel or hardscaping—free of plants, wooden decks and wooden outdoor furniture—to stop windblown ember ignitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

“FireGuard does not pick up spot fires caused by ember cast or downed power lines, so it is important this tool is used in conjunction with other tools to increase situational awareness,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

“With hindsight being 2020, we do understand now that we must evacuate well ahead of not only the fire front ... but we also need to take into account the massive ember cast,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025

Clare flung the broken monocle away and blew on the pulsing ember, praying to the all-knowing Universe it wouldn’t go out.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Clasby had stayed behind and put out embers landing in trees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

In the 19th century, locomotives threw off hot embers that set nearby fields and barns ablaze.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

"Our facilities and infrastructure for firefighting are very limited," he told AFP, standing on the smouldering embers of a peatland fire separated from a residential settlement by a narrow dirt road.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Wind could then carry flames and embers beyond the immediate area of the original fire, he explained.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

One gust in the right direction could shower embers, float them across the river.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• ash
• cinder

---