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ash1

Pronunciation: /aʃ/

Translate ash | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of ash

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] (also ashes) the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance:cigarette ash I turned over the ashes
  • (ashes) the remains of a human body after cremation or burning: his ashes were scattered on the waters of the Ganges River
  • the mineral component of an organic substance, as assessed from the residue left after burning:coal contains higher levels of ash than premium fuels
  • 2 (the Ashes) a trophy for the winner of a series of Test matches in a cricket season between England and Australia.
    [from a mock obituary notice published in the Sporting Times (2 September 1882), with reference to the symbolical remains of English cricket being taken to Australia after a sensational victory by the Australians at the Oval]

Phrases

turn to ashes in one's mouth

become bitterly disappointing or worthless: take care your dreams don’t turn to ashes in your mouth

rise (or emerge) from the ashes

be renewed after destruction: the new Europe that has emerged from the ashes of the Second World War
[see rise like a phoenix from the ashes (at phoenix)]

Derivatives

ashy

adjective

Origin:

Old English æsce, aexe, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch as and German Asche

ash in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ash in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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