ember
Americannoun
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a small live piece of coal, wood, etc., as in a dying fire.
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embers, the smoldering remains of a fire.
noun
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a glowing or smouldering piece of coal or wood, as in a dying fire
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the fading remains of a past emotion
the embers of his love
Etymology
Origin of ember
before 1000; Middle English eemer, emeri, Old English ǣmerge, ǣmyrie (cognate with Old Norse eimyrja, Old High German eimuria ), equivalent to ǣm- (cognate with Old Norse eimr steam) + -erge, -yrie, akin to Old English ys ( e ) le ember, Latin ūrere to burn
Explanation
An ember is a little piece of wood or coal in a fire that's dying. Embers are hot and glowing. When the fire is out and the embers are glowing, it’s time to call it a night. Embers (usually plural) are smoldering pieces of wood or coal — usually very small — that burn brightly as a fire starts to fade. When you see embers, the fire isn’t finished yet, but it’s almost done. If you’re camping and you put out a fire, don’t leave it alone until the embers go out, too. People also use embers as a metaphor for other things that are starting to fade, like the last embers of a dying friendship.
Vocabulary lists containing ember
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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Chains
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He stayed in his truck outside the affordable senior complex, trying to keep an eye on things: warding off looters, putting out ember flare-ups, responding to flooding when the building’s sprinklers finally burst back on.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
“For people I’ve talked to who lost their homes, fire front versus ember cast mean nothing other than there was fire in their community, in their neighborhood, burning down homes,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025
India Today magazine called the film a "dead ember".
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025
Some residents in Rainham believe an ember from the fires on Arnolds Field might have started that blaze.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025
Or was it just a stray ember from the flames?
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
