Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large vessel, such as a kettle or vat, used for boiling.
  • noun A state or situation of great distress or unrest felt to resemble a boiling kettle or vat.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See caldron.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a very large pot.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A large bowl-shaped pot used for boiling over an open flame.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a very large pot that is used for boiling

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, alteration of cauderon, from Norman French, diminutive of caudiere, cooking pot, from Late Latin caldāria, from feminine of Latin caldārius, suitable for warming, from calidus, warm; see kelə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old Northern French caudron (Old French chaudron), itself from a derivative of Latin calidārium, caldārium from calidus ("hot").

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Examples

  • President Bush says U.S. troops are making progress in Iraq, arguing that an early pullout would turn Iraq into what he calls a cauldron of chaos.

    CNN Transcript May 1, 2007 2007

  • This was also the root of the English word "cauldron" and the French word chaudiere - and it is obviously a short hop from there to chowder.

    Cook sister! 2009

  • The cauldron is the symbol for what we will be brewing this long winter.

    October « 2009 « bindu wiles 2009

  • The cauldron is the symbol for what we will be brewing this long winter.

    The Crone and the Cauldron « bindu wiles 2009

  • Perseus, I hope your cauldron is back from the cleaners? current mood: pensive current music: Smiths - Louder than Bombs (13 comments | comment on this) 3: 05p

    The Feepmaster Speaks ndrtoon 2002

  • This article is as unambiguous as it is vile what kind of person hopes that an entire region of the world turns into a "cauldron" -- but leave that to the side for now, because the focus here is Ledeen's lying, not the depraved nature of his views.

    Archive 2006-11-01 Glenn Greenwald 2006

  • This article is as unambiguous as it is vile what kind of person hopes that an entire region of the world turns into a "cauldron" -- but leave that to the side for now, because the focus here is Ledeen's lying, not the depraved nature of his views.

    What do National Review, Rich Lowry, and the AEI have to say about Michael Ledeen's lie? Glenn Greenwald 2006

  • The crone’s cauldron is a deep part of the Halloween myth that represents the cosmic womb.

    The Crone and the Cauldron « bindu wiles 2009

  • The crone’s cauldron is the place of transmutation.

    The Crone and the Cauldron « bindu wiles 2009

  • The crone’s cauldron is a deep part of the Halloween myth that represents the cosmic womb.

    October « 2009 « bindu wiles 2009

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