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

One can spot Rubens’s Consequences of War, a sculpture of baby Hercules, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Etruscan urns, a Holbein, a Correggio, a few Raphaels. —Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

But that idea of a columbarium for burial urns received lukewarm support from his colleagues and residents who spoke at the recent council meeting. —Victoria Le, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025

They have been beaten after only 11 days of cricket this time round, which is the joint quickest the urn has ever been lost. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025

An urn elicits feedback in seconds; a book, maybe never. —Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 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

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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