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ashtray

noun
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ash·​tray | \ ˈash-ˌtrā How to pronounce ashtray (audio) \

Definition of ashtray

: a receptacle for tobacco ashes and for cigar and cigarette butts

Examples of ashtray in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His living-room floor is littered with beer bottles that have been converted into ashtrays, each refracting flickers of light from the always-on flat screen. — T.l. Andrews, Quartz, "More people are dying alone—and the global economy isn’t prepared for it," 21 Dec. 2019 Disturbance: Wilson Mills Road Marathon employees said Dec. 7 that a male and female in a truck were going through an ashtray for cigarette butts and bothering people. — cleveland, "Man admits fear of deer attack: Highland Heights Police Blotter," 12 Dec. 2019 Police then found small rocks of crack cocaine in the ashtray-cupholder. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland, "Man banned from gym for rude behavior; ‘unnatural bulges’ betray hidden marijuana: Berea police blotter," 8 Nov. 2019 Bonus round: What about those throwback ashtrays and the 'Mile High Club'? — NBC News, "How to get better service on an airplane, according to a veteran flight attendant," 7 June 2019 My mother’s beautiful ceramic ashtray collection [though neither she nor Lolita smoke] was placed on every table at the wedding feast. — Vogue, "Stylist Lolita Jacobs’s Effortlessly Chic Wedding in the South of France," 26 July 2018 The study counted all tobacco images – including cigarettes in an ashtray, in a pack or on a store shelf – but says 54% included the product in the character's hand or mouth. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "'Stranger Things,' 'Orange' have way too many tobacco images, youth-focused study finds," 1 July 2019 Cigarette butts found when the carpet was ripped up were cleaned and placed back in their ashtrays that litter the consoles. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "'We did the impossible': What it was like inside Apollo 11's Mission Control," 19 July 2019 Sutterley said investigators located a drinking glass within the area where the fire started, which may have been used as a makeshift ashtray. — Pomerado News, "Father convicted for Rancho Bernardo fire that killed two children," 16 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ashtray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ashtray

1851, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for ashtray

Time Traveler

The first known use of ashtray was in 1851

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Statistics for ashtray

Last Updated

16 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ashtray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashtray. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for ashtray

ashtray

noun
How to pronounce ashtray (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ashtray

: a small dish or other small container that is used for throwing away used cigarettes and cigars and their ashes

See the full definition for ashtray in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on ashtray

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ashtray

Spanish Central: Translation of ashtray

Nglish: Translation of ashtray for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ashtray for Arabic Speakers

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