Meanings
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1
noun
a small piece of partly burned coal, wood, or other material
A glowing cinder escaped from the fire and landed on the hearth.
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2
noun
a hard fragment of noncombustible residue or furnace slag
The old railway path was surfaced with rough black cinders.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English cinder and Old English sinder, 'dross, slag, or cinder,' from a Proto-Germanic word for residue from burning or smelting. Cognates in Germanic languages likewise refer to cinders, slag, sparks, or mineral deposits.