The first day of Lent; -- so called from a custom in the Roman Catholic church of putting ashes, on that day, upon the foreheads of penitents.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). ash wednesday. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/ash_wednesday/definitions/1976243 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "ash wednesday" http://smartdefine.org/ash_wednesday/definitions/1976243 (accessed September 26, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, ash wednesday, Smart Define, viewed 26 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/ash_wednesday/definitions/1976243>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "ash wednesday" 27 May 2011. Web. 26 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/ash_wednesday/definitions/1976243> |