a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.
Metallurgy. a hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.
a severe, searching test or trial.
a vessel in which substances are heated to high temperatures
the hearth at the bottom of a metallurgical furnace in which the metal collects
a severe trial or test
What does crucible mean? A crucible is a severe test or trial or an extremely challenging experience. This figurative sense of crucible is based on the literal meaning of the word: a heat-resistant container used to melt metals. Crucible in the literal sense is used in the context of metallurgy, the science of working with and refining metals. The word is perhaps best known from its use as the title of the 1953 play The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Example: Their friendship was forged in the crucible of boot camp.
1400–50; late Middle English crusible, corusible < Medieval Latin crucibulum; compare Anglo-French crusil, Old French croi-suel, croisol night lamp, crucible < Gallo-Romance *croceolus (of uncertain origin), probably Latinized on the model of tūribulum thurible
A crucible is a melting pot used for extremely hot chemical reactions — the crucible needs to be melt-proof. Literally, a crucible is a vessel used for very hot processes, like fusing metals. Another meaning of the word is a very significant and difficult trial or test. Scaling Mt. Everest with your legs tied together would be a crucible, as would swimming the English Channel blindfolded. Whether or not to have children is a crucible for many people. The title of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is an example of this meaning.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The larger world, if it doesn’t directly impact the day-to-day,” she told me, “becomes chaff that you kind of block out because you’re so focused on trying to survive this crucible that you’re in.”
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
He’s on firmer footing exploring his two leads as they square off inside this smoldering crucible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
I was socialized in the crucible of millennial progressivism.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2026
This weekend’s Grammys and next weekend’s Super Bowl — with a halftime performance from Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny — arrive at a crucible moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
But in the crucible of the moment, none of these subsequent affectations or interpretations mattered much, if at all.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Wu Yize held off a Shaun Murphy fightback to ensure he will take a slender 13-12 lead into the concluding session of their World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Shaun Murphy recovered from 3-0 down draw level at 4-4 against Wu Yize in the first session of their World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
Shaun Murphy powered to a 17-15 victory over John Higgins to reach his fifth World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The World Championship semi-final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy is delicately poised at 8-8 after a captivating second session at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
Ms. Langford is showing us that movie The Crucible.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Wars, as ever, are crucibles for rapid development—and adoption—of new tech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Excavations and geophysical surveys in this area revealed crucibles, slag, and tin bronze artifacts.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2025
"Wales was one of the great crucibles of the Industrial Revolution, which was sweeping Europe and later the world," added Ms Protheroe-Jones.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2024
After mixing the precursors, another robot parcels out the mix into a set of crucibles, which are loaded into furnaces where they can be mixed with gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 20, 2023
The sun was pouring into the broad courtyard of the goldsmith’s shop, flooding ovens, benches, crucibles, with a radiance that made even the washing vats seem things of beauty.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
