cauldron

American  

[kawl-druhn] / ˈkɔl drən /

Or caldron

noun

1. a large kettle or boiler.

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cauldron British  

/ ˈkɔːldrən /

noun

1. a large pot used for boiling, esp one with handles

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Etymology

Origin of cauldron

1250–1300; Middle English, alteration (by association with Latin caldus warm) of Middle English cauderon < Anglo-French, equivalent to caudere (< Late Latin caldāria; see caldera) + -on noun suffix

Explanation

A cauldron is a big pot used over an open fire. You may picture the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth hovering over a cauldron of "Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog" — yum! The cauldron, while conjuring up images of — well, conjuring — actually came from the Latin root calidus, meaning "hot." We can see this root in other Latin-based languages, including the Spanish caliente and Italian caldo. In English, the word became cauldron — a creepy name for a very useful pot.

Example Sentences

The $8 cauldron set a world record for the smallest popcorn container.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

But the Newcastle boss will not think twice about throwing Hall into the Nou Camp cauldron for the return fixture on Wednesday night.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

But ever since a pair of Italian ski legends lit the cauldron in Milan, just 18 months after the summer fête of Paris, the decline of the Games has felt like a distant memory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

In Milan, the pulsating cauldron inspired by the sun will burn at Arco della Pace.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

“I tell you now, none of us has ever set on a more perilous task. I ask your help, for I mean to attack Annuvin itself to seize I Arawn’s cauldron and destroy it.”

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

Related Words

• bag
• bottle
• bowl
• box
• bucket
• can
• canister
• capsule
• carton
• crate
• dish
• jar
• jug
• kettle
• package
• packet
• pail
• pot
• pouch
• sack