urn
Americannoun
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a large or decorative vase, especially one with an ornamental foot or pedestal.
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a vase for holding the ashes of the cremated dead.
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a large metal container with a spigot, used for making or serving tea or coffee in quantity.
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Botany. the spore-bearing part of the capsule of a moss, between lid and seta.
noun
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a vaselike receptacle or vessel, esp a large bulbous one with a foot
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a vase used as a receptacle for the ashes of the dead
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a large vessel, usually of metal, with a tap, used for making and holding tea, coffee, etc
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botany the spore-producing capsule of a moss
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of urn
1325–75; Middle English urne < Latin urna earthen vessel for ashes, water, etc., akin to urceus pitcher, Greek hýrchē jar
Explanation
An urn is a large, hollow vase that's usually made of metal or clay. Some urns are used for making coffee or tea, others are made to put someone’s ashes in. Go figure. Urn is probably from the Latin word urna for "a jar or vessel," but some say it’s from another Latin word urere which means, "to burn.” While some urns are used for making hot drinks, the most common use of an urn is holding the ashes of a dead person. Most urns are decorated. “Ode to a Grecian Urn” by the Romantic poet John Keats (1820), is a poem about the figures on a classical Greek urn.
Vocabulary lists containing urn
The Breadwinner
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Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 3
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The Poet X
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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.
There are now only 10 matches before Australia defend the urn in the UK next summer.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026
The family lost everything including baby photos, Missi’s grandmother’s art and the stone urn that contained her late father’s ashes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
The implosion of a team during the 5-0 Ashes drubbing in 2013-14, and the rebuild to regain the urn in 2015 - the last time England beat Australia.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Even if England regain the urn on home soil in the summer of 2027, this regime may already have its legacy defined by what happened in Australia.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
I was a little surprised by how quickly she agreed, and that she didn't issue any directions about the urn.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
