molten

adjective

mol·​ten ˈmōl-tᵊn 

1

: fused or liquefied by heat : melted

molten lava

2

: having warmth or brilliance : glowing

… the molten sunlight of warm skies …

—T. B. Costain

3

obsolete : made by melting and casting

Examples of molten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond this, next generation reactor technologies, several of which are being deployed, use coolants such as helium, molten salt, and liquid metal instead of water. — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has been capturing some of the Red Planet's most surreal landscapes, and its latest images reveal a sprawling field that looks like molten metal frozen across the floor of an ancient Mars crater. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 July 2026

And that's thanks to a rugged construction that starts with a steel-tube chassis welded at Stockman HQ before getting sent out for a hot dunk in the molten galvanization tank. — New Atlas, 17 July 2026

Apart from transferring heat away from the reactor, the molten salt can breed tritium, an essential fuel for sustaining fusion reactions. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from past participle of melten to melt

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

molten

adjective

mol·​ten ˈmōlt-ᵊn 

: melted especially by very great heat