crucible

noun

cru·​ci·​ble ˈkrü-sə-bəl 

1

: a vessel of a very refractory (see refractory entry 1 sense 3) material (such as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat

2

: a severe test

He's ready to face the crucible of the Olympics.

3

: a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development

… conditioned by having grown up within the crucible of Chinatown …

—Tom Wolfe

His character was formed in the crucible of war.

Did you know?

Unless you’re studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in school, it may not be crucial to learn the story behind crucible, but it can’t hurt! Crucible looks like it should be closely related to the Latin combining form cruc- (“cross”); however, unlike crucial, it isn’t. It was forged instead from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, a noun for an earthen pot used to melt metals, and in English it first referred to a vessel made of a very heat-resistant material (such as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. It’s possible that the resemblance between cruc- and crucible encouraged people to start using crucible to mean “a severe trial,” as that sense is synonymous with one meaning of cross, but the idea of simmering in a literal crucible also sounds plenty severe. The newest sense of crucible (“a situation in which great changes take place,” as in “forged in the crucible of war”) recalls the fire and heat required to transform some solids into liquids.

Synonyms

• cross
• fire
• gauntlet
• gantlet
• ordeal
• trial

Examples of crucible in a Sentence

He's ready to face the crucible of the Olympics.

His character was formed in the crucible of war.

Recent Examples on the Web

This hide-and-seek dynamic becomes especially critical in the crucible of war, where a data breach can mean lost lives or even defeat. —Ameesh Divatia, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

These digital poker rooms act as crucibles of cultural exchange, where each participant contributes unique tactical wisdom, enriching the collective gaming acumen. —Ascend Agency, Sun Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024

The heroine’s eventual, inevitable descent into the lower rungs of this inferno, where hunger leads to madness, is little more than a therapeutic crucible — a generic odyssey of self-forgiveness. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2024

This material is used for manufacturing crucibles, on which global semiconductor production relies, as well as to make components within semiconductors themselves. —Tommy Greene, WIRED, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corusible, from Medieval Latin crucibulum earthen pot for melting metals

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crucible

• crucible steel

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Kids Definition

crucible

noun

cru·​ci·​ble ˈkrü-sə-bəl 

1

: a pot made of a substance not easily damaged by fire that is used for holding something to be treated under great heat

2

: a severe test

Medical Definition

crucible

noun

cru·​ci·​ble ˈkrü-sə-bəl 

: a vessel of a very refractory material (as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat