white ash

noun

: a North American ash (Fraxinus americana) having compound leaves with a pale green or silvery-white underside
also : its hard brownish wood

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Those returning home should check for embers in their attic, avoid white ash or smoldering holes in the ground and immediately report gas problems or damaged equipment. Michael Williams, SFChronicle.com, 27 Aug. 2020 Some ovens come with a self-cleaning function, which cranks the temperature up to a high heat (upwards of 800°F) for 3–5 hours, incinerating all the grease splatters and rogue crumbs to a neat pile of white ash. Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2023 Balaei said the ash that's been falling since the Glass Fire started on Sunday has mostly been burnt leaves and white ash. Justin Lear And Hollie Silverman, CNN, 29 Sep. 2020 Ash is falling around the entire region and the BBC has some startling images of buildings on the volcano covered in thick white ash. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2014 The highly radioactive debris condensed and began raining down as white ash over 2,800 square miles of the Pacific Ocean a few hours later. Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2021 Closer to the fires, white ash from the Dixie Fire was falling in the Lake Tahoe Basin, SF Gate reported. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2021 There are areas that are nothing but white ash and some little spindle trees. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2021 Today, white mulberry, white ash and the invasive European buckthorn lead the pack. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 30 Apr. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'white ash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white ash was in 1683

Dictionary Entries Near white ash

Cite this Entry

“White ash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20ash. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

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