kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven, furnace, or heated enclosure used for processing a substance by burning, firing, or drying

kiln transitive verb

Did you know?

The word kiln was kindled in Old English as a bundle of c-y-l-n. Unlike many words that descend from Old English, however, kiln is not ultimately Germanic in origin but was borrowed from Latin culina, meaning "kitchen," an ancestor of the English word culinary, which has been a menu option in English since the 17th century. An ingredient in culina is coquere, meaning "to cook" in Latin.

Examples of kiln in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

See treasures Coins, pottery fragments, non-ferrous metals and remnants of a kiln were previously discovered at the site, experts said. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

According to the statement, the workshop consisted of multiple kilns; storage areas; and 32 ostraca, or pottery shards, with commercial transactions written in Greek and Demotic scripts. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

Stoneware objects are made with clay that is less porous and that is fired in the kiln at a higher temperature. —Katie Akin, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2025

If clay isn’t totally dry before firing, the pieces will crack or explode in the kiln. —The Learning Network, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kilne, from Old English cyln, from Latin culina kitchen, from coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven or furnace for hardening, burning, or drying something

brick kilns

kiln verb