rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryurnDecorative vessel
noun

urn

ERN/ɜːrn/

A large, usually decorative container.

The large ceramic urn has a rounded body and a fitted lid.

A single large, lidded ceramic urn with a rounded vase-shaped body, narrow neck, two small handles, and a sturdy foot, isolated on white ground.
Etymology
urnLatinjar; vessel for ashes

Latin urna covered both liquid-holding jars and vessels for the ashes of the dead. Those uses connect the modern word’s beverage-container and funerary meanings.

In context

WIRED9:00
Or some families just opt to use the container that comes from the crematory, just a simple plastic urn.
Mortician Shows Every Step a Body Goes Through at a Funeral Home | WIRED

More examples

  • Several urns decorated the terrace.
  • She lifted the urn.
  • The urn stood on a pedestal.

Forms

urn · urns

Similar words

vase
Often holds flowers and may have no lid.
jar
A broader storage vessel without decorative or ceremonial associations.