crucible

noun

cru·ci·ble | \ ˈkrü-sə-bəl

Definition of crucible

1 : a vessel of a very refractory (see refractory entry 1 sense 3) material (such as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat

2 : a severe test He's ready to face the crucible of the Olympics.

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 His character was formed in the crucible of war.

Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Phrases Containing crucible Learn More About crucible

Did you know?

Crucible looks like it should be closely related to the Latin combining form cruc- ("cross"), but it isn't. It was forged from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, a noun for an earthen pot used to melt metals, and in English it first referred to a vessel made of a very heat-resistant material (such as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. But the resemblance between cruc- and crucible probably encouraged people to start using crucible to mean "a severe trial." That sense is synonymous with one meaning of cross, a word that is related to cruc-. The newest sense of crucible ("a situation in which great changes take place"—as in "forged in the crucible of war") recalls the fire and heat that would be encountered in the original heat-resistant pot.

Examples of crucible in a Sentence

He's ready to face the crucible of the Olympics. His character was formed in the crucible of war.

Recent Examples on the Web Writer-director Andrew Semans adds heat upon heat in a near-surreal psychological crucible, arriving at one of those WTF endings. — Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 13 May 2022 Baseball’s charm – and its greatest glories – have always been tied to the grind itself, a six-month crucible of a season that weeded out pretenders and rewarded sustained excellence. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2022 Add to that the constant debates on which practical and affordable health safety protocols to implement, recurrent case surges and updates to health recommendations creates a crucible of challenges for churches. — Mark Nichols, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2022 It’s an arresting welcome that evokes the dislocation of an ocean crossing, challenging visitors to navigate a world forged in the crucible of the Black Atlantic. — Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 4 May 2022 Playing as a freshman in the crucible of the Southeastern Conference is a lofty goal. — al, 23 Mar. 2022 This is a young U.S. men’s national team program in transition, exorcising the ghosts of 2018, reshaping its identity with players who bolted for the crucible of European football as teens instead of the security of Major League Soccer. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2022 Ukraine’s cities — and civilian areas — have become the crucible of the war, where an intense struggle is unfolding between Russians who want to seize or control these areas and Ukrainians defiantly resisting. — Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2022 Perhaps Holabird’s most lasting impact was as the crucible in which the Jeep was forged. — Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2022 See More

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