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fur⋅nace
[fur-nis] 
noun, verb, -naced, -nac⋅ing.| 1. | a structure or apparatus in which heat may be generated, as for heating houses, smelting ores, or producing steam. |
| 2. | a place characterized by intense heat: The volcano was a seething furnace. |
| 3. | (initial capital letter ) Astronomy. the constellation Fornax. |
| 4. | to heat (a metal piece) in a furnace. |
1175–1225; ME furneis, furnais < OF fornais, fournais < L fornāc- (s. of fornāx kiln, oven), akin to formus warm
Related forms:
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| fur·nace (fûr'nĭs) n.
[Middle English, from Old French fornais, from Latin fornāx, fornāc-, oven; see gwher- in Indo-European roots.] |
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Furnace
Fur"nace\, n. [OE. fornais, forneis, OF. fornaise, F. fournaise, from L. fornax; akin to furnus oven, and prob. to E. forceps.]1. An inclosed place in which heat is produced by the combustion of fuel, as for reducing ores or melting metals, for warming a house, for baking pottery, etc.; as, an iron furnace; a hot-air furnace; a glass furnace; a boiler furnace, etc. Note: Furnaces are classified as wind or air. furnaces when the fire is urged only by the natural draught; as blast furnaces, when the fire is urged by the injection artificially of a forcible current of air; and as reverberatory furnaces, when the flame, in passing to the chimney, is thrown down by a low arched roof upon the materials operated upon. 2. A place or time of punishment, affiction, or great trial; severe experience or discipline. --Deut. iv. 20. Bustamente furnace, a shaft furnace for roasting quicksilver ores. Furnace bridge, Same as Bridge wall. See Bridge, n., 5. Furnace cadmiam or cadmia, the oxide of zinc which accumulates in the chimneys of furnaces smelting zinciferous ores. --Raymond. Furnace hoist (Iron Manuf.), a lift for raising ore, coal, etc., to the mouth of a blast furnace.Furnace
Fur"nace\, n. 1. To throw out, or exhale, as from a furnace; also, to put into a furnace. [Obs. or R.] He furnaces The thick sighe from him. --Shak.Cite This Source
furnace
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Furnace
(1.) Chald. attun, a large furnace with a wide open mouth, at the top of which materials were cast in (Dan. 3:22, 23; comp. Jer. 29:22). This furnace would be in constant requisition, for the Babylonians disposed of their dead by cremation, as did also the Accadians who invaded Mesopotamia. (2.) Heb. kibshan, a smelting furnace (Gen. 19:28), also a lime-kiln (Isa. 33:12; Amos 2:1). (3.) Heb. kur, a refining furnace (Prov. 17:3; 27:21; Ezek. 22:18). (4.) Heb. alil, a crucible; only used in Ps. 12:6. (5.) Heb. tannur, oven for baking bread (Gen. 15:17; Isa. 31:9; Neh. 3:11). It was a large pot, narrowing towards the top. When it was heated by a fire made within, the dough was spread over the heated surface, and thus was baked. "A smoking furnace and a burning lamp" (Gen. 15:17), the symbol of the presence of the Almighty, passed between the divided pieces of Abraham's sacrifice in ratification of the covenant God made with him. (See OVEN.) (6.) Gr. kamnos, a furnace, kiln, or oven (Matt. 13:42, 50; Rev. 1:15; 9:2).
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furnace
structure in which useful heat is produced by combustion or other means. Historically, the furnace grew out of the fireplace and stove, following the availability of coal for heating. A coal furnace is made up of several elements: a chamber containing a grate on which combustion takes place and through which ashes drop for disposal; a chimney to carry away smoke and provide a draft of air; another source of air supply to help burn volatile gases and hydrocarbons; and a metal surface over which the hot gases pass and which transfers heat to circulating water or air. Coal furnaces are still widely used in industry, where they are usually equipped with mechanical stokers.
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