ash-tray

A person places a cigarette into a ceramic ash-tray on a patio table.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A receptacle for tobacco ash and cigarette butts: An "ash-tray" is a small dish or container, typically made of glass, metal, or ceramic, designed to hold the ash and discarded ends of cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He tapped his cigarette over the ash-tray to remove the ash. (A container used to collect ash from smoking.)
  • The hotel room had a clean ash-tray on the nightstand. (A receptacle placed for convenience in a room.)

Advanced Usage

• "ashtray" (spelling variant): The compound word is often written as a single word ("ashtray") in modern usage, but "ash-tray" remains acceptable.

  • She emptied the ashtray into the trash. (A single-word form meaning the same container.)

• "ashtray of the world" (figurative): A metaphorical phrase referring to a place heavily polluted by smoke or industrial waste.

  • The industrial district was described as the ashtray of the world. (A region overwhelmed by smoke and pollution.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ash (n): the powdery residue left after burning something.

  • The fire left a pile of gray ash. (The fine, powdery remains of burning.)

• Tray (n): a flat, shallow container for holding or carrying items.

  • She placed the cups on a tray. (A flat surface used for serving or holding objects.)

Synonyms

• Cigarette holder: a device for holding a cigarette (not the same as an ash-tray, which collects ash).
• Cinder tray: a receptacle for cinders or ash (less common, often for fireplaces).

Related Idioms

• To empty the ash-tray: to clean out the contents of an ash-tray.
  • He emptied the ash-tray before the guests arrived. (He removed the ash and butts from the container.)

Note

• The term "ash-tray" is specific to smoking-related contexts and does not generally apply to other types of waste containers.