: a combustible heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
broadly
: a pile of material to be burned
a pyre of dead leaves
Examples of pyre in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Season 1 finale sees Lady Jane Grey being brought out to be beheaded and Lord Guildford Dudley put on a pyre.
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Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 4 July 2024
The scene is crosscut with Rhaenyra and her family throwing items, including a riding blanket and a little horse figure, into a funeral pyre for Luke.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
There are flashes of an intimate scene between two women, a massive structure in flames, Kwame getting kicked in the head in the arena, a funeral pyre, and, finally, a combatant battling a massive lion.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 13 June 2024
Despite Alexander's objections, a funeral pyre was eventually constructed by Ptolemy, and Kalanos took his own life.
—Austin Chen, theweek, 15 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pyre 
Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 4 July 2024
The scene is crosscut with Rhaenyra and her family throwing items, including a riding blanket and a little horse figure, into a funeral pyre for Luke.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
There are flashes of an intimate scene between two women, a massive structure in flames, Kwame getting kicked in the head in the arena, a funeral pyre, and, finally, a combatant battling a massive lion.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 13 June 2024
Despite Alexander's objections, a funeral pyre was eventually constructed by Ptolemy, and Kalanos took his own life.
—Austin Chen, theweek, 15 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pyre
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pyre.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pyre
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyre. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pyre
noun
: a heap of wood for burning a dead body
also
: a pile of material to be burned
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