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crucible
[ kroo-suh-buhl ]
noun
- a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.
- Metallurgy. a hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.
- a severe, searching test or trial.
crucible
1/ ˈkruːsɪbəl /
noun
- a vessel in which substances are heated to high temperatures
- the hearth at the bottom of a metallurgical furnace in which the metal collects
- a severe trial or test
Crucible
2/ ˈkruːsɪbəl /
noun
- the Cruciblethe Crucible a Sheffield theatre, venue of the annual world professional snooker championship
crucible
/ kro̅o̅′sə-bəl /
- A heat-resistant container used to melt ores, metals, and other materials.
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of crucible1
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Example Sentences
Western states arrived at this crucible in large part because of their own doing.
There's no doubt about it—completing a 24-hour race is no easy thing, and the crucible of racing will often reveal problems that engineers don't encounter on the test bench.
We are also, so far as we know, the only species that can tamper with the crucible of evolution.
If Charlotte lets Graham walk, then we’ll have to wait for the next three-point-guard experiment to know if it can win in the crucible of the postseason.
My last book was about how Chicago had a whole parallel aesthetic that was really the crucible for a lot of things that then went off to New York and became famous.
If the witness did in fact witness such a terrible crime, the testimony will survive in the crucible of cross-examination.
And what does it say if we look to war as a crucible for religious belief?
Born in 1961, Barack Obama is our first president since JFK whose worldview was shaped in a non-Cold War crucible.
But it is also, anachronistically, a crucible that can reveal character.
Herzog was never just a novel; from the beginning it was a symbol, a crucible, a shibboleth.
But, as your eminence may notice, the first crucible is turning white hot; it is time to draw the charge.
He nipped the crucible four inches beneath the rim, testing the grip by lifting it just a couple of inches.
Now obtain a small quantity of asbestos compound and pack it around the small crucible inside the flowerpot.
Make sure the crucible is in the exact center of the flowerpot and that their tops are even with each other.
Closely akin to this "magic crucible" notion of assimilation is the theory of "like-mindedness."
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More About Crucible
What does crucible mean?
A crucible is a severe test or trial or an extremely challenging experience.
This figurative sense of crucible is based on the literal meaning of the word: a heat-resistant container used to melt metals. Crucible in the literal sense is used in the context of metallurgy, the science of working with and refining metals. The word is perhaps best known from its use as the title of the 1953 play The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
Example: Their friendship was forged in the crucible of boot camp.
Where does crucible come from?
Crucible is first recorded in English in the 1400s. It comes from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, which meant “pot used for melting metals” or “night lamp,” but its ultimate origin is uncertain. The first part of the word may be based on the root cruci-, meaning “cross-shaped” (as in crucifix), but it’s not known for sure.
Crucibles have been used for at least hundreds of years. In the Middle Ages, when the practice of alchemy was turning into chemistry, early scientists used different forms of crucibles to perform experiments with metals. During the American gold rush, makeshift crucibles were used to process gold.
The figurative use of crucible is closely associated with Miller’s play, which uses the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1690s as a metaphor for the persecution of supposed Communist sympathizers in the United States (known as McCarthyism) that was happening around the time the play was written. However, crucible has been used to mean “a severe test” since the 1600s. Crucible is usually applied to a situation that tests a person’s character and perhaps changes them forever. The association of extreme heat with extremely challenging experiences can be found in many other expressions, such as trial by fire.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for crucible?
What are some words that often get used in discussing crucible?
How is crucible used in real life?
Crucible is most commonly used to refer to situations that represent an extreme trial for someone, especially one that tests their courage or preparedness.
Good night, future legend!
Today's struggle, tomorrow's strife-
just the beginning of your story,
the crucible from which you emerge. Go!— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 7, 2017
Any kind of encounter with adversity or limitation, at any age, can serve as the crucible for forging the attitude [of fearlessness].
— Robert Greene (@RobertGreene) March 14, 2018
Great win for the Terps. You know what I loved the most? In the crucible of the moment, it wasn't Anthony Cowan, Jr. against the world, going 1 on 9. He brought it out, the ball moved and boom-shaka-laka, Darryl Morsell with the deep 3 to complete a 17-point comeback. #Terps
— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) February 27, 2020
Try using crucible!
When used in its literal sense, crucible appears in the context of what practice?
A. metallurgy
B. baking
C. carpentry
D. painting
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