Main Entry: cru·ci·ble

Pronunciation: \ˈkrü-sə-bəl\

Function: noun

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

Date: 15th century

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