A pit, hole, or receptacle where ash and cinders are deposited and stored, often found outside buildings.
Compound of ash and pit (Old English pytt, from Latin puteus meaning 'well'). This term developed alongside ashpan but typically refers to larger outdoor storage areas rather than under-stove containers.
Medieval ashpits were valuable resources—people would save their ash to sell to soap makers and glass makers, who needed it for their crafts, making household waste surprisingly profitable!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.