from the mock obituary of English cricket in The Times in 1882 after a great Australian victory at the Oval, in which it was said that thebody would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia
ashes in American English
(ˈæʃɪz)
plural noun
1.
the unburned particles and white or grayish powder remaining after a thing has been burned
2.
the part of the body left after cremation
3.
a dead person; human remains
4.
ruins or remains, as of a destroyed civilization
Word origin
see ash1
Examples of 'ashes' in a sentence
ashes
That seems a very negative basis on which to select a leader for the biggest Ashes series in memory.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The fact is these back-to-back Ashes battles have meant the bad blood between the two sides has had practically no time to simmer down.
The Sun (2013)
All related terms of 'ashes'
ash
Ash is the grey or black powdery substance that is left after something is burnt. You can also refer to this substance as ashes .
the Ashes
a cremated cricket stump in a pottery urn now preserved at Lord's. Victory or defeat in test matches between England and Australia is referred to as winning , losing , or retaining the Ashes
dust and ashes
something that is very disappointing
bone ash
the residue obtained when bones are burned in air, consisting mainly of calcium phosphate . It is used as a fertilizer and in the manufacture of bone china
fly ash
fine solid particles of ash carried into the air during combustion , esp the combustion of pulverized fuel in power stations
soda ash
the anhydrous commercial form of sodium carbonate
sackcloth and ashes
a public display of extreme grief , remorse , or repentance
manna ash
an ash tree , Fraxinus ornus , of S Europe
pearlash
the granular crystalline form of potassium carbonate
pearl ash
the granular crystalline form of potassium carbonate
prickly ash
a North American rutaceous shrub or small tree, Zanthoxylum americanum, having prickly branches , feathery aromatic leaves, and bark used as a remedy for toothache
toothache tree
a North American rutaceous shrub or small tree, Zanthoxylum americanum, having prickly branches, feathery aromatic leaves, and bark used as a remedy for toothache
in sackcloth and ashes
in a state of great mourning or penitence
cigarette ash
the ash created by smoking a cigarette
flowering ash
a variety of ash tree that produces conspicuous flowers
mountain ash
any of various trees of the rosaceous genus Sorbus , such as S aucuparia ( European mountain ash or rowan ), having clusters of small white flowers and bright red berries
Moreton Bay ash
an Australian eucalyptus tree, E. tessellaris , having drooping branches and grey bark
New Zealand ash
a New Zealand evergreen tree, Alectryon excelsus , with a spreading crown and glossy green leaves
carbeen
an Australian eucalyptus tree, E. tessellaris , having drooping branches and grey bark
titoki
a New Zealand evergreen tree, Alectryon excelsus , with a spreading crown and glossy green leaves