ashing
|ash-ing|
/ˈæʃɪŋ/
(ash)
residue or tree
Etymology
'ashing' ultimately comes via the verb 'ash' from Old English 'æsc' (also written 'æsce'), where the root referred to the 'ash tree' and by extension 'ash' (the residue of burning).
'æsc' (Old English) became Middle English 'ash', from which the verb sense developed; the verbal derivative plus the suffix '-ing' produced the modern English form 'ashing'.
Originally related to the ash tree (and to the residue of burning); over time a verbal sense 'to make into ash/to cover with ash' developed, and 'ashing' came to mean the action or result of that process.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of converting into ash or removing ash; (occasionally) the ash produced by that process.
The ashing of the furnace took several hours and left a fine powder.
Synonyms
Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'ash'.
The lab technician was ashing the samples to measure their mineral content.
Last updated: 2025/10/28 08:00