Definition

Noun: A small, often shallow, container designed to hold the ash and butts from cigars or cigarettes. It is used by smokers to dispose of ash safely and keep areas clean.

Usage

An ashtray is a household or public item placed where smoking occurs. It is typically made of glass, ceramic, metal, or stone. The word is used to refer to the object itself.

Examples

• Please use the ashtray so you don't get ash on the table.
• The waiter emptied the full ashtray from the outdoor patio.
• He tapped his cigarette gently against the edge of the glass ashtray.

Advanced Usage

• "To be an ashtray for" (figurative, informal): To be treated as a place where unwanted things are dumped.
  • The vacant lot became an ashtray for the neighborhood's litter.

Variants and Related Words

• Ashtrayful (noun, rare): The amount that an ashtray can hold.
  • He emptied an ashtrayful of butts.

Synonyms

• Ash receiver
• Ashcan (though this more commonly refers to a larger outdoor bin)
• Cinder tray

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "To clean/fill an ashtray": Refers to the maintenance of the object.
  • It's your turn to clean the ashtrays after the party.

Noun

1. a receptacle for the ash from smokers' cigars or cigarettes