kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven, furnace, or heated enclosure used for processing a substance by burning, firing, or drying

kiln transitive verb

Did you know?

The word kiln was kindled in Old English as a bundle of c-y-l-n. Unlike many words that descend from Old English, however, kiln is not ultimately Germanic in origin but was borrowed from Latin culina, meaning "kitchen," an ancestor of the English word culinary, which has been a menu option in English since the 17th century. An ingredient in culina is coquere, meaning "to cook" in Latin.

Examples of kiln in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dipped in Resin Prior to being loaded into the kiln, the plates are dipped into a glaze resin. —Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025

Hand-shaping each petal with particular attention to how a flower unfolds in its blooming stages, firing it in the kiln and then adding the color. —Blue Carreon, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

For example, an enclosure from the Iron Age was later used by the Romans to build a large lime kiln, according to the release. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025

See treasures Coins, pottery fragments, non-ferrous metals and remnants of a kiln were previously discovered at the site, experts said. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kilne, from Old English cyln, from Latin culina kitchen, from coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven or furnace for hardening, burning, or drying something

brick kilns

kiln verb