urn
[ urn ]
/ ɜrn /
noun
a large or decorative vase, especially one with an ornamental foot or pedestal.
a vase for holding the ashes of the cremated dead.
a large metal container with a spigot, used for making or serving tea or coffee in quantity.
Botany. the spore-bearing part of the capsule of a moss, between lid and seta.
Nearby words
- urinous,
- url,
- urmia,
- urmia, lake,
- urmston,
- urnfield,
- urning,
- uro-,
- urobilin,
- urobilinemia
Origin of urn
1325–75; Middle English urne < Latin urna earthen vessel for ashes, water, etc., akin to urceus pitcher, Greek hýrchē jar
Related formsurn·like, adjective
Can be confusedearn urn
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for urn
British Dictionary definitions for urn
urn
/ (ɜːn) /
noun
a vaselike receptacle or vessel, esp a large bulbous one with a foot
a vase used as a receptacle for the ashes of the dead
a large vessel, usually of metal, with a tap, used for making and holding tea, coffee, etc
botany the spore-producing capsule of a moss
Derived Formsurnlike, adjective
Word Origin for urn
C14: from Latin ūrna; related to Latin ūrere to burn, urceus pitcher, Greek hurkhē jar
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for urn
urn
late 14c., "vase used to preserve the ashes of the dead," from Latin urna "a jar, vessel," probably from earlier *urc-na, akin to urceus "pitcher, jug," and from the same source as Greek hyrke "earthen vessel." But another theory connects it to Latin urere "to burn" (cf. bust (n.1)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper