pyre

American  

[pahy^uhr] / paɪər /

noun

1. a pile or heap of wood or other combustible material.

2. such a pile for burning a dead body, especially as part of a funeral rite, as in India.

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pyre British  

/ paɪə /

noun

1. a heap or pile of wood or other combustible material, esp one used for cremating a corpse

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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.