thumb|right|A glass ashtray, holding a lit cigarette in an edge indentation with a small box of matches nearby
An ashtray is a receptacle for ash from cigarettes, cigars, and other smokable products. Ashtrays typically are made of fire-retardant material such as glass, heat-resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or stone. It differs from a cigarette receptacle, which is specifically for discarding cigarettes after being smoked.
Types
thumb|Commemorative, decorative ashtray manufactured 1935 (photo 2011)
right|thumb|Wall-mounted ashtray
thumb|Standing type ashtray for passing [[pedestrian|pedestrians.]]
thumb|An ashtray with a cover. A metal surface of the cover serves to place a cigarette during smoking, to drop ash on and to extinguish the cigarette once finished. Then, the user presses the mechanism and the ashes and the cigarette butt are dropped into the internal chamber.
thumb|A trashcan equipped with an ashtray at its top. Because the [[ashes and the potentially still lit cigarette butts are separated from other garbage, the risk of fire is reduced.]]
The most common ashtray design is a shallow cylinder with a flat base, to rest on a table. Other ashtrays, particularly in public places, are wall-mounted, and larger than standard tabletop ashtrays due to the increased use they receive. There are also public ashtrays combined with trashcans.
Many ashtrays have notches at the rim, to hold cigarettes and/or a cigar. Frequently ashtrays were equipped in older large or luxury cars before later being available as dealer-installed accessory items. As more women began to smoke in the early 1900s, the ashtray went closer to an art form. As time went on, and the onset of women smoking both cigars and cigarettes became less of a departure from the average person, ashtrays saw a decline in design aesthetics and began more of a shift towards practicality. However, it was not uncommon to see ashtrays featuring pin-up girls in bars during this decade. It was also during this time that another trend in ashtrays began to emerge, which was the auto-ashtray. In the early years, design oversights put these ash receptacles right below the A/C and heating so every time the owner would use either of these, the ash would inadvertently fly in their face or even all throughout the car. But as new vehicle models were constantly introduced to the public, these little flaws gave way and many began using chrome trays with covers that could be opened and closed at the driver's discretion.