urn

noun

ˈərn 

1

: a vessel that is typically an ornamental vase on a pedestal and that is used for various purposes (such as preserving the ashes of the dead after cremation)

2

: a closed vessel usually with a spigot for serving a hot beverage

a coffee urn

Examples of urn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The votes are then treated like all the others, placed one by one on a plate that sits over an urn used to hold ballots and then tipped into the receptacle. —Nbc News, NBC news, 7 May 2025

Experts working for Avon Archaeology Highland also found a Bronze Age cremation urn estimated to be 3,500 years old, along with flint tools and quern stones, which were used to grind grains. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025

According to Clark, three dozen temporary urns were found inside the home, with some empty. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2025

On top of one of the shelves sits a stone urn with her beloved father’s ashes. —Amanda Lauren, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English urne, from Latin urna

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for urn

• berne
• burn
• churn
• dern
• earn
• erne
• fern
• hern
• hirn
• learn
• morne
• quern

Video

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one way more correct than the others?

Kids Definition

urn

noun

ˈərn 

1

: a container that has the form of a vase on a base and often is used for keeping the ashes of the dead

2

: a closed vessel usually with a faucet for serving a hot beverage

coffee urn