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ash 1 (ăsh)
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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.
v. ashed, ash·ing, ash·es
v.tr.
To reduce or convert to ash: ash a tissue sample for analysis.
v.intr.
Informal To drop ashes from a cigar or cigarette: accidentally ashed on his own sleeve.

[Middle English asshe, from Old English æsce; see as- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
ash 2 (ăsh)
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n.
1. Any of various chiefly deciduous 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 any of these trees, 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.]
(click for a larger image)
ash2
white ash
Fraxinus americana

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.