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ashes

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ash

1  [ash]
Use ashes in a Sentence
–noun
1. the powdery residue of matter that remains after burning.
2. Also called volcanic ash. Geology. finely pulverized lava thrown out by a volcano in eruption.
3. a light, silvery-gray color.
4. ashes,
a. deathlike grayness; extreme pallor suggestive of death.
b. ruins, esp. the residue of something destroyed; remains; vestiges: the ashes of their love; the ashes of the past.
c. mortal remains, esp. the physical or corporeal body as liable to decay.
d. anything, as an act, gesture, speech, or feeling, that is symbolic of penance, regret, remorse, or the like.
Origin:
bef. 950; ME a(i)sshe, OE asce, æsce; c. Fris esk, D asch, ON, OHG aska (G Asche), Goth azgo < Gmc *askōn- (with Goth unexplained); akin to L ārēre be dry (see arid ), Tocharian ās- get dry, Skt sa- ashes, Hittite hassi on the hearth; < IE *HaHs-

Related forms:
ash⋅i⋅ness, noun
ashless, adjective

ash

2  [ash]
–noun
1. any of various trees of the genus Fraxinus, of the olive family, esp. F. excelsior, of Europe and Asia, or F. americana (white ash), of North America, having opposite, pinnate leaves and purplish flowers in small clusters.
2. the tough, straight-grained wood of any of these trees, valued as timber.
3. Also, æsc. the symbol “æ.”
Origin:
bef. 900; ME asshe, OE æsc; c. Fris esk, MLG, MD asch, OS, OHG asc (G Esche, with altered vowel from the adj. deriv. eschen, MHG eschîn), ON askr; akin to L ornus, Welsh onnen, Russ yásenʾ, Czech jasan, Lith úosis, Armenian hatsʰi; Albanian ah beech; < IE *Hoes-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ashes
ash 1   (āsh)   
n.  

  1. The grayish-white to black powdery residue left when something is burned.

  2. Geology Pulverized particulate matter ejected by volcanic eruption.

  3. The mineral residue of incinerated organic matter, used as an additive in pet foods.

  4. ashes Ruins: the ashes of a lost culture.

  5. ashes Bodily remains, especially after cremation or decay.

tr.v.   ashed, ash·ing, ash·es
To reduce or convert to ash: ash a tissue sample for analysis.

[Middle English asshe, from Old English æsce; see as- in Indo-European roots.]
ash 2   (āsh)   
n.  

  1. Any of various chiefly deciduous ornamental or timber trees of the genus Fraxinus, having opposite, pinnately compound leaves, clusters of small flowers, and one-seeded winged fruits.

  2. The strong, elastic wood of this tree, used for furniture, tool handles, and sporting goods such as baseball bats.

  3. Linguistics The letter æ in Old English and some modern phonetic alphabets, representing the vowel sound of Modern English ash.


[Middle English asshe, from Old English æsc.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ash  (1)
"powdery remains of fire," O.E. æsce "ash," from P.Gmc. *askon (cf. O.N. aska, O.H.G. asca, Ger. asche, Goth. azgo "ashes"), from PIE base *as- "to burn" (cf. Skt. asah "ashes, dust," Arm. azazem "I dry up," Gk. azein "to dry up, parch"). Symbol of grief or repentance; hence Ash Wednesday (1297), from custom introduced by Pope Gregory the Great of sprinkling ashes on the heads of penitents on the first day of Lent. Meaning "mortal remains of a person" is c.1275, in ref. to the ancient custom of cremation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ash
Pronunciation: 'ash
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : the solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burnedor is oxidized by chemical means
2 ashes pl : the remains of the dead human body after cremation or disintegration
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Ashes

The ashes of a red heifer burned entire (Num. 19:5) when sprinkled on the unclean made them ceremonially clean (Heb. 9:13). To cover the head with ashes was a token of self-abhorrence and humiliation (2 Sam. 13:19; Esther 4:3; Jer. 6:26, etc.). To feed on ashes (Isa. 44:20), means to seek that which will prove to be vain and unsatisfactory, and hence it denotes the unsatisfactory nature of idol-worship. (Comp. Hos. 12:1).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
ASHES
American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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