furnaces
|fur-nace|
🇺🇸
/ˈfɝnɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˈfɜːnɪs/
(furnace)
high-temperature heating
Etymology
'furnace' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'fornax', where 'fornax' meant 'oven'.
'furnace' changed from Old French 'fornais' (or Old French forms from Vulgar Latin) into Middle English as 'furnace' and eventually became the modern English word 'furnace'.
Initially it meant 'oven' (a place for baking), but over time it evolved to refer more broadly to devices producing very high heat, including large industrial kilns and metallurgical furnaces.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'furnace': an enclosed structure or chamber in which material is heated to very high temperatures, used for heating buildings, smelting, or other industrial processes.
The factory's old furnaces were replaced with more efficient models last year.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
large industrial furnaces specifically used in metallurgical or chemical processes (emphasis on heavy industry use).
During peak production the steelworks ran all its furnaces around the clock.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/21 02:02