What does "crucible" mean?
A cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures.
Crucible
/ˈkɹuː.sɪ.bəl/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures.
- Grammar: crucible is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: acid test, affliction, agitator, alembic.
- Useful contrasts: comfort, comfort zone, ease.
- Usage evidence: "Look at the alchemic glass," he cried; "something glows in the crucible, pure and heavy." He lifted it with a trembling hand, and exclaimed in a voice of agitation, "Gold! gold!"
How to use "crucible"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crucible" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crucible" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crucible" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crucible" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crucible" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acid test" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures.
"In one corner of the closet was a very small furnace, with a glowing fire in it, and on the fire a kind of duplicate crucible—two crucibles connected by a tube. One of these crucibles was nearly full of lead in a state of fusion, but not reaching up to the aperture of the tube, which was close to the brim."
- 2 a vessel made of material that does not melt easily; used for high temperature chemical reactions wordnet
- 3 A heat-resistant container in which metals are melted, usually at temperatures above 500°C, commonly made of graphite with clay as a binder.
- 4 The bottom and hottest part of a blast furnace; the hearth.
- 5 A very difficult and trying experience, that acts as a refining or hardening process. figuratively
"But, in considering an author and his works as one, a sufficient distinction is not drawn between the ideal and the real: the last is only given by being past through the crucible of the first."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Look at the alchemic glass," he cried; "something glows in the crucible, pure and heavy." He lifted it with a trembling hand, and exclaimed in a voice of agitation, "Gold! gold!""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crucible"?
Common synonyms include: acid test, affliction, agitator, alembic, anvil, apparatus.
How do you use "crucible" in a sentence?
"Look at the alchemic glass," he cried; "something glows in the crucible, pure and heavy." He lifted it with a trembling hand, and exclaimed in a voice of agitation, "Gold! gold!"
How do you pronounce "crucible"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹuː.sɪ.bəl/.
Etymology
From Latin crucibulum (“night-lamp, metallurgic melting-pot”), apparently a derivative of crux (“cross”), perhaps by analogy to thūribulum (“censer”) and suffix -bulum, or from crucio (“to torment”).