Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

A.wood-ashes, embers, Od.9.375, h.Merc.238: generally, ashes, Hdt.2.140; ἐπ᾽ Ἰσμηνοῦ τε μαντεία ς., of the ashes of an altar, S.OT21, cf. Ant.1007, Hdt.4.35; “ς. ἱερὰ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ βωμοῦ” SIG1171.18 (Lebena); of the dead, A.Ag.435,443 (both lyr.), Ch.687, S.El.758, etc.; ἀμφὶ σποδὸν κάρᾳ κεχύμεθα, in sign of mourning, E.Supp.827 (lyr.), cf. 1160; “σποδὸς δὲ τἄλλα, Περικλέης, Κόδρος, Κίμων” Alex.25.12:—death by plunging into a room filled with ashes, “αὐτήν μιν ῥῖψαι ἐς οἴκημα σποδοῦ πλέον” Hdt.2.100; as a Persian punishment (cf. Val. Max.9.2.6), “εἰς τὴν σποδὸν ἐμβάλλεται” Ctes.Fr.29.48, cf. 51, al., LXX 2 Ma.13.5 sq.—There seems to be no difference in sense between σποδός and τέφρα: both occur in Trag., the latter alone in Att. Prose.

II. dust, “τῆς χαμᾶθεν σποδοῦ” Hdt.4.172; μετρεῖν τὴν ς., of labour in vain, Arr.Epict.3.26.17.

III. oxide of certain metals, ς. Κυπρίη copper oxide, Hp.Mul.1.104; “ς. Ἰλλυριῶτις” Id.Ulc.13; “ς. χρυσῖτις” Id.Mul.1.103, cf. Dsc.5.75.

IV. metaph., κυλίκων, πίθων ς., of a bibulous old woman, 'soaker', 'sponge', AP 6.291, 7.455 (Leon.).

V. lava, Str.6.2.3.