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

Chen is then accused of going to the woman's home and taking the urn, NBC reported, citing a criminal complaint. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026

Ever see a musician extracting freaky beats from a drum of vibrating milk while surrounded by thousands of funerary urns? — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 17 June 2026

On the pedestal next to another Venetian mirror, a wrought-iron urn holds Rodgersia from the garden. — Dan Shaw, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026

The exotic bug buffet has been replaced by a few bog-standard coffee urns, and the crowd of tuxedos has started to thin. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 June 2026

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
• quern
• spurn

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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