the Ashes

proper noun

A trophy played for by England and Australia in Test cricket; in the form of a small urn containing the ashes of a cremated cricket stump or set of bails.

“Australia retained the most recent Ashes series drawing against England 2-2.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proper noun
  1. ball gamesA trophy played for by England and Australia in Test cricket; in the form of a small urn containing the ashes of a cremated cricket stump or set of bails.
  2. ball gamesA series of Test cricket matches played between England and Australia.

    Australia retained the most recent Ashes series drawing against England 2-2.

  3. broadlyrugby leaguehobbiesA nominal trophy contested by England and Australia in other sports, especially rugby league.
  4. rugby leaguehobbiesA series of such test matches.

Origin

From a satirical obituary published in an English newspaper after its loss to Australia in 1882, announcing the death of English cricket and that "the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

the Ashes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20Ashes

MLA

“the Ashes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20Ashes. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the Ashes,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20Ashes.

Source: the Ashes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.