urns

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Containers shaped like vases with a base, used to hold the ashes of someone who has been cremated.

   Grammar: Plural of urn: two urns on the shelf.

   Patterns

   • urns for ashes

   The funeral home displayed urns in many different styles.

   Their urns were placed beside the garden wall.

   She chose two matching urns for her parents' ashes.

2. 2nounplural

   Large metal vessels with a tap, used for heating water or keeping tea and coffee hot for a crowd.

   Grammar: Often seen at events: tea urns.

   Patterns

   • tea urns
   • coffee urns

   Volunteers filled the tea urns before the meeting.

   Large coffee urns stood along the buffet table.

   The church hall kept two urns boiling all afternoon.

3. 3nounplural

   Decorative vases with a stand and a rounded body, used in gardens or in ancient art.

   Grammar: Often described in history or garden design.

   Stone urns lined the steps of the old mansion.

   The museum has Greek urns painted with scenes of war.

Word forms

Common combinations

funeral urns

The shop sells funeral urns made of wood.

tea urns

Tea urns were set up for the fair.

stone urns

Stone urns decorated the terrace.

ceramic urns

The garden has two ceramic urns full of flowers.

scatter ashes from urns

They scattered ashes from the urns at sea.

Synonyms and how they differ

vases

This is a general word for flower containers, while urns usually have a base and a more formal or ceremonial look.

jars

This is much broader and has no sense of funeral or ceremonial use.

vessels

This is a formal general word for any container, so it is less specific than urns.

Word family

urn noun

a vase-like container or large drink vessel

cremation noun

burning a body to ashes

ashes noun

the remains after cremation

Commonly confused: urns or earns?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “urns”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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