: a combustible heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
broadly
: a pile of material to be burned
a pyre of dead leaves
Examples of pyre in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Nazis wanted to conceal the crime by burning the bodies on mass pyres.
—
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
Our ancestors once lit large pyres and worshipped fire gods.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
Cheers and embers erupt as the giant pyres collapse.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Dido, after her lover Aeneas deserts her, kills herself with his sword on a funeral pyre, but not before building an effigy of him to burn alongside her.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
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Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
Our ancestors once lit large pyres and worshipped fire gods.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
Cheers and embers erupt as the giant pyres collapse.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Dido, after her lover Aeneas deserts her, kills herself with his sword on a funeral pyre, but not before building an effigy of him to burn alongside her.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pyre
Dictionary Entries Near pyre
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyre. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pyre
noun
: a heap of wood for burning a dead body
also
: a pile of material to be burned
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