rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryemberGlowing remnant of a fire
noun

ember

EM-ber/ˈembər/

A small piece of wood or coal still glowing after a fire.

A single ember glows among pale ashes.

A small charred fragment glows orange-red through cracks in its ash-coated surface, resting among pale ashes and a few cold charcoal remnants of a dying fire.
Etymology
emberOld Englishember, live coal

Old English æmerge already meant an ember: a live coal left from a fire. The modern word preserves this sense of a small remnant that still glows.

In context

Old History Nights102:04
an ember spat from a hearth onto a rush strewn floor
What Queen Elizabeth I's Servants Saw After Dark | History for Sleep

More examples

  • The campers checked for hidden embers.
  • A bright ember fell from the log.
  • She watched the last ember fade.

Forms

ember · embers

Similar words

ash
Ash is the cooled or powdery residue; an ember is a still-glowing fragment.
spark
A spark is a small airborne glowing particle or discharge; an ember is usually a surviving piece of fuel.