PoliticsAugust 11, 2026

ember

EM-bur

Definition

A small, glowing piece of coal or wood in a dying fire.

Etymology

Derived from the Old English word 'æmerge', which referred to hot ashes. It has Germanic roots and has consistently described the glowing fragments remaining after a fire has died down.

In the news

The term is used metaphorically to describe the fading remnants or small, lingering traces of a previous energy policy or status quo in California. It signifies the transition between dying old systems and the emergence of new initiatives.

California’s energy triumvirate takes the stage

Read the full article ↗

Politico

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.