1
: a vessel that is typically an ornamental vase on a pedestal and that is used for various purposes (such as preserving the ashes of the dead after cremation)
2
: a closed vessel usually with a spigot for serving a hot beverage
a coffee urn

Examples of urn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recycled rubber outdoor self-watering urn planter: on sale for $60.97 (20% off) Original price: $76.25 Putting an outdoor self-watering planter in front of your doorway, on your patio or in your garden, can add some extravagance to your yard. Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025 Alongside pictures of her sister kissing her cheek and Traci's son Kevin Surratt Jr. kissing her urn, Towanda, 51, reflected on the special connection the two shared. Esther Kang, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025 In a Raleigh bedroom design, Ross styled the nightstand with vintage books, a match striker, a ceramic urn, and oversized beads. Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2025 Your body might be burned in an oven and the resulting ashes stored in a decorative urn, though these ashes are not ashes at all but tiny fragments of bone. Cutter Wood, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for urn

Word History

Etymology

Middle English urne, from Latin urna

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of urn was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Urn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urn. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

urn

noun
1
: a container that has the form of a vase on a base and often is used for keeping the ashes of the dead
2
: a closed vessel usually with a faucet for serving a hot beverage
coffee urn

More from Merriam-Webster on urn

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