Ember

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛm.bə/

Definitions

1. A small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire
2. A glowing or smoldering piece of fuel remaining in ashes after most flames have died
3. A red-hot or incandescent fragment of coal or wood left in the residue of a fire

Etymology: The most surprising fact about "ember" is the stray letter in its spelling. Old English had "ǣmyrġe", which passed into Middle English as forms like "embre" and "eymbre" without any b. The b was added later, once the vowel in the second syllable had disappeared, because it made the word easier to pronounce. Its ancestors reach back to a Proto-Germanic compound of "aimaz" (fire, a hearth or funeral pyre) and "uzjǭ" (burning), built on a prehistoric root meaning "to burn." Related words in other Germanic languages preserve the older sense of a fire, not just its remains. Old High German "eimuria" meant a pyre, Danish "emmer" is a close cousin, and Swedish "mörja" still means embers. Note that a different English word, "embryne" (meaning a course or circuit, from Old English "ymbryne"), was altered over time through folk etymology until its spelling looked like "ember" as well. Its literal parts suggest "umb-" (around) and "run," which has nothing to do with burning.

Synonyms: coal, spark

Antonyms: flame