pyre
Americannoun
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a pile or heap of wood or other combustible material.
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such a pile for burning a dead body, especially as part of a funeral rite, as in India.
noun
Etymology
Origin of pyre
1650–60; < Latin pyra < Greek pyrá hearth, funeral pile
Explanation
Pyre rhymes with fire. It's also a noun for a large pile of stuff for burning. Most times a pyre is part of a funeral — the body is burned on it. From the Greek pura or pur, meaning "fire," pyre came into English in the 17th century. Pyr is also the Czech word for "hot ashes." Remember, a pyre isn't the fire itself but the stuff that helps the fire burn, as firewood at a campfire. People and animals are burned on a pyre as part of a traditional funeral ceremony in some countries.
Vocabulary lists containing pyre
Fahrenheit 451
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Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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Anthem
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you have $35,000 in credit-card debt, not only should you cut up your cards, you should take the pieces and burn them on a pyre and vow never to make this mistake again.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Frangello writes, “I long to reach into the past and beg, ‘Don’t throw yourself on the pyre.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025
He was born to pose backlit by a pyre of flaming zombies and does so here, with the hot wind tickling his locks perfectly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2025
It is thought the objects may have been burnt on a funerary pyre before being buried, though no human remains were found.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2025
They built a lofty pyre on a great ship, and there they laid Balder’s body.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
