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Added 10 October 2026

ember

/ˈɛm.bə/ noun

In Latin: favilla, prūna Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ember at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A piece of coal or wood glowing by heat; a hot coal.
Smoldering ash.

adjective

Making a circuit of the year or the seasons; recurring in each quarter of the year, as certain religious days set apart for fasting and prayer.
ember fasts

Origin

From Middle English embre, eymbre, aymer, eymere, emeri, from Old English ǣmyrġe, from Proto-West Germanic *aimuʀjā, from Proto-Germanic *aimuzjǭ, a compound of *aimaz + *uzjǭ. The latter is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ews- (“to burn”). The b is intrusive and was added in English for ease of pronunciation when the vowel of the second syllable (y) disappeared. See also Old High German eimuria (“pyre”), Danish emmer, Swedish mörja (“embers”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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