cauldron

noun caul·dron \ ˈkȯl-drən \

variants: or less commonly caldron

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of cauldron

1 : a large kettle or boiler

2 : something resembling a boiling cauldron in intensity or degree of agitation

a cauldron of intense emotions

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Recent Examples of cauldron from the Web

During Ramadan, Samia Hassan often walks five kilometers (three miles) to another Gaza City neighborhood to line up for wheat gruel cooked in a large cauldron over an open fire.

— Washington Post, "Aid freeze, politics push Gaza’s people deeper into poverty," 9 June 2018
One recent Friday, as Rooster soupmeister Ivan Bocardo tended to two bubbling 40-gallon cauldrons of chicken stock, Sabatino worked a few paces away, hovering over a much smaller pot of his own.

— drew lazor, Philly.com, "At Rooster Soup, Sabatino rethinking how and why he cooks," 3 Apr. 2018
There was a dance and musical performance on a colorfully animated stage featuring dancers on foot, and in wheelchairs, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

— thomas maresca, USA TODAY, "North, South Korea march under separate flags at Paralympics opening ceremony," 9 Mar. 2018
But Mrazek was thrown into a cauldron, in an electric opposing arena, against a team whose focus, sense of urgency, and speed the Flyers couldn’t come close to matching.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Brian Elliott likely to start Flyers-Penguins Game 2 despite 7-0 blowout loss," 12 Apr. 2018
During Ramadan, Samia Hassan often walks three miles to another Gaza neighborhood to line up for wheat gruel cooked in a large cauldron over an open fire.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Amid growing poverty in Gaza, aid trickles in," 8 June 2018
Cool feature: Headboard of the adult bed doubles as shelves filled with potion bottles and a magical bubbling cauldron illuminated with pulsing lights.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Legoland wants you to spend the night with knights and wizards," 23 Apr. 2018
Finally, a sweating and haggard Bourdain trudges to the table with his cauldron of stew.

— kanishk tharoor, The Atlantic, "Anthony Bourdain’s Extreme Empathy," 10 June 2018
The lawsuit is the latest turn in the ongoing controversy over free speech and the fiery cauldron of Middle East politics at one of the region’s more prestigious private schools.

— kathy boccella, Philly.com, "Former Friends' Central teachers sue school after firing over Palestinian professor invite," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cauldron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cauldron

Middle English caudron, caldron, from Anglo-French cauderon, diminutive of caldere basin, from Late Latin caldaria, from feminine of Latin caldarius used for hot water, from calidus warm, from calēre to be warm — more at lee

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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