blast furnace

noun

1. a large vertical furnace for smelting iron from ore, using coke as fuel: designed so as to direct a continuous blast of air through the fuel in order to obtain a high rate of combustion.

blast furnace

noun

1. a vertical cylindrical furnace for smelting iron, copper, lead, and tin ores. The ore, scrap, solid fuel, and slag-forming materials are fed through the top and a blast of preheated air is forced through the charge from the bottom. Metal and slag are run off from the base

Word History and Origins

Origin of blast furnace¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Traditionally, extracting that all-important iron from ores requires blast furnaces that run on fossil fuels.

From BBC

Ministers took control of British Steel in Scunthorpe in April after accusing the Chinese owners Jingye of trying to close down the site's blast furnaces.

From BBC

The government took control of British Steel in April, amid concerns that Jingye would close down the UK's only remaining blast furnaces and put thousands of jobs at risk.

From BBC

Community Union said the start of the works in Port Talbot was a "bittersweet day" after the "devastating closure of the blast furnaces" at the site.

From BBC

Then, a few years ago, he heard a new rumour: that Tata Steel, the plant's Indian owners, was to close its blast furnaces.

From BBC