Main Entry: ¹ash

Pronunciation: \ˈash\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English asshe, from Old English æsc; akin to Old High German ask ash, Latin ornus mountain ash

Date: before 12th century

1 : any of a genus (Fraxinus) of trees of the olive family with pinnate leaves, thin furrowed bark, and gray branchlets
2 : the tough elastic wood of an ash
3 [Old English æsc, name of the corresponding runic letter] : the ligature æ used in Old English and some phonetic alphabets to represent a low front vowel \a\

[ash illustration]