ashtray

This term refers to a functional object specifically designed for the disposal of tobacco waste. While historically common in homes and public spaces, its usage has declined in many regions due to smoking bans and health awareness, often shifting the word's connotation from a standard household item to a symbol of an older era or specific social settings like smoking lounges.

In a descriptive sense, the word is strictly literal. There are no common metaphorical extensions of "ashtray" in standard English, and it is almost always used in a physical, concrete context.