Furnace

Fur′nace (·nās; 48), 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.

☞ 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.

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 sighs from him. Shak.