: 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
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.
They may have been included in a funerary pyre, though researchers didn’t find any human remains. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 Many of the items had been burned, suggesting that they might have been torched upon a funeral pyre, but no human remains were found amid the assemblage. News Desk, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2025 It is thought the objects could have been burnt on a funerary pyre before they were buried, but no human remains have been found. Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025 It is believed they may have been burned on a funerary pyre, however, no remains have been found. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pyre

Word History

Etymology

Latin pyra, from Greek, from pyr fire — more at fire

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pyre was in 1587

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyre. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pyre

noun
: a heap of wood for burning a dead body
also : a pile of material to be burned

More from Merriam-Webster on pyre

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