furnace

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place or time of punishment, affiction, or great trial; severe experience or discipline. Deut. iv. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bustamente furnace, a shaft furnace for roasting quicksilver ores. --
Furnace bridge, Same as Bridge wall. See Bridge, n., 5. --
Furnace cadmiam or
Furnace 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. [ 1913 Webster ]