Urna

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A container used for holding the ashes of a cremated person or for storing sacred relics or offerings in a religious context
2. An object typically used in burial rituals, serving as a vase for cremated remains or significant artifacts within ceremonies
3. A ceremonial vessel designed to hold remains post-cremation or to preserve important religious items for worship and remembrance

Etymology: The Latin "urna" meant a pitcher or jar for drawing water, and later a vessel for holding ashes. Its roots are traced to Sanskrit "ūrṇā," meaning "wool" or "thread," a link that remains uncertain. The surprising thread is the shift from a sheep's fleece to a water jar, which has no obvious bridge between the two senses. Through Latin, the same word reached English as "urn," so the two are doublets: one came directly into English and the other reached it through another route. The Latin word also served Roman voting, where names were drawn from an urn, which is why the vessel became linked with fate and selection as well as with death.

Synonyms: urn, vase, jar, container, pot