crucible
noun
a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.
crucible
American
[kroo-suh-buhl]
/ ˈkru sə bəl /
noun
-
crucibles
plural
-
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.
crucible
1
British
/ ˈkruːsɪbəl /
noun
-
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
Crucible
2
British
/ ˈkruːsɪbəl /
noun
crucible
Scientific
/ kro̅o̅′sə-bəl /
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of crucible
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
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing crucible
Night
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That crucible reforged Griffin into a political phoenix.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The ruins of the Soviet command economy were also a crucible for innovation, said Kadri Ukrainski, who lectures on the subject at Estonia's Tartu University.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
But what an image: an observatory dome bubbling out of a boil of smaller domes, like an idea simmering in a crucible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“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
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
On Monday, it was Wu Yize - who had defeated Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a compelling final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
John Higgins opened up a slender 13-11 advantage over Shaun Murphy heading into the final session of their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible Theatre.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
Zhao, 29, had been aiming to become the only first-time winner to defend his crown since the tournament moved to the Crucible Theatre in 1977.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
But Higgins won the last three frames on Sunday and maintained that form by taking the first three on Monday as O'Sullivan lost six successive frames at the Crucible for only the fifth time.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 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
Then about 6 years old, Shapiro would salvage gold that had been deposited in or on the company’s crucibles.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2023
Women were taking their beautiful pewter from dresser shelves, stoically watching it melt in crucibles.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
