DictionaryfurnaceHeating chamber
noun

furnace

FER-nis/ˈfɜːrnɪs/

An enclosed chamber that produces intense heat.

The furnace glows orange around the steel billet inside.

A heavy industrial furnace with its thick insulated door partly open, exposing a brilliant orange-hot refractory chamber and a steel billet glowing inside.
Etymology

Latin fornax named an oven or kiln, a chamber where heat is concentrated. The English sense retains that basic image of an enclosed space producing intense heat.

In context

Storytime Haven242:03
When the current is turned on and led through them into the furnace you can get the most amazing temperatures in the crucible.
🕵️‍♂️ The Silent Bullet: A Craig Kennedy Mystery 🔍 | Arthur B. Reeve

More examples

  • Workers inspected the furnace door.
  • Several furnaces heated the workshop.
  • The house has a gas furnace.

Forms

furnace · furnaces

Similar words

kiln
A kiln is specialized for firing materials such as pottery.
oven
An oven usually operates at lower temperatures or for cooking.