furnace

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

• noun An enclosure in which energy in a nonthermal form is converted to heat, especially such an enclosure in which heat is generated by the combustion of a suitable fuel.
• noun An intensely hot place.
• noun A severe test or trial.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A structure in which to make and maintain a fire the heat of which is to be used for some mechanical purpose, as the melting of ores or metals, the production of steam as a power, the warming of apartments, the baking of pottery, etc.; specifically, a structure of considerable size built of stone or brick, and usually lined with fire-brick, used for some purpose connected with the operation of smelting metals.
• noun Figuratively, a place, time, or occasion of severe torture or great trial.
• To subject to the action of a furnace; figuratively, to heat as if in a furnace.
• To throw out, as flames or dull reverberations of sound are emitted by a furnace.
• To issue forth like flames from a furnace.
• noun A furnace which is continually rotated or revolved to secure thorough mixture or chemical reaction under heat as respects the charge.

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

• noun Obs. or R. To throw out, or exhale, as from a furnace; also, to put into a furnace.
• noun An inclosed place in which heat is produced by the combustion of fuel, as for reducing ores or melting metals, for warming a house, for baking pottery, etc.
• noun A place or time of punishment, affiction, or great trial; severe experience or discipline.
• noun a shaft furnace for roasting quicksilver ores.
• noun Same as Bridge wall.
• noun the oxide of zinc which accumulates in the chimneys of furnaces smelting zinciferous ores.
• noun (Iron Manuf.) a lift for raising ore, coal, etc., to the mouth of a blast furnace.

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

• noun A device for heating.
• noun A device that heats materials being processed in a factory.
• noun A device that provides heat for a building.
• noun Any area that is excessively hot.
• verb To heat in a furnace

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

• noun an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.