ember

noun

em·ber | \ ˈem-bər

How to pronounce ember (audio)

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Definition of ember

1 : a glowing fragment (as of coal) from a fire especially : one smoldering in ashes

2 embers plural : the smoldering remains of a fire

3 embers plural : slowly dying or fading emotions, memories, ideas, or responses still capable of being revived the embers of his past

Examples of ember in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hidden behind the savory flavors, pomegranate sent out a bright ember of tartness as the stew lingered in the mouth. — Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, "At Lou's Takeaway in San Rafael, modern California sensibilities shine through singular comfort food," 4 Feb. 2021 For more than a century, western land managers have fought forest fires to the last ember. — Kiliii Yüyan, History & Culture, "‘There’s good fire and bad fire.’ An Indigenous practice may be key to preventing wildfires," 17 Dec. 2020 That ember of hope burns on, even with cold water raining down upon it. — Adam Rogers, Wired, "We’ll Need More Than One Vaccine to Beat the Pandemic," 13 Nov. 2020 The sofa fire, on the other hand, had been burning for mere minutes, likely sparked by an ember from the fire upstairs. — Washington Post, "A flawed investigation left Jason Lively behind bars for 15 years for a fire he didn’t set. He’s not alone.," 22 Oct. 2020 Blunck has also looked at the effects of fire retardants on ember generation. — National Geographic, "Meet the wildfire superspreaders," 13 Oct. 2020 Among them: including bushfire risk in planning new development and making ember risk part of building codes. — Elizabeth Weil, ProPublica, "California Will Keep Burning. But Housing Policy Is Making It Worse.," 2 Oct. 2020 Perhaps the ember of hope has miraculously flickered back. — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, "The tragic bookends of summer 2020," 6 Sep. 2020 Wind speeds, which have been estimated at 70 mph or higher, funneled down the canyon, blasting Myron with ember showers as the entire forest became a pulsing wall of flames. — Zach Urness, USA TODAY, "He survived an Oregon wildfire by perching on a rock in a river, fending off embers with a chair," 18 Sep. 2020

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

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Last Updated

17 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Ember.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ember. Accessed 28 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for ember

ember

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ember

: a glowing piece of coal or wood from a fire

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

ember

noun

em·ber | \ ˈem-bər

\

Kids Definition of ember

: a glowing piece of coal or wood in the ashes from a fire

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