Ashcans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of container used for storing or disposing of ashes, particularly from fires or stoves
2. A simple receptacle, often made of metal or plastic, designed to hold discarded materials and waste
3. Referring to a form of refuse bin specifically created for managing burned remnants and other refuse items

Etymology: "Ashcans" is simply the plural of "ashcan," a compound of "ash" and "can." The first part refers to the cinders and residue left after a fire, which in earlier times was the everyday waste of coal-heated homes and stoves. The second part is the ordinary word for a container, so the whole thing names a receptacle for that ash and other household refuse. The plural form matters only in that it names several of these containers at once, as when a street is lined with them on collection day. Its history follows directly from the compound, with no separate coinage or shift in meaning to trace.

Synonyms: trash cans, rubbish bins