a small live piece of coal, wood, etc., as in a dying fire.
2.
embers, the smoldering remains of a fire.
Origin: bef. 1000; ME eemer, emeri, OE ǣmerge, ǣmyrie (c. ON eimyrja, OHG eimuria), equiv. to ǣm- (c. ON eimr steam) + -erge, -yrie, akin to OE ys(e)le ember, L ūrere to burn