heat-treat

American  

[heet-treet] / ˈhitˌtrit /

verb (used with object)

1. to subject (a metal or alloy) to controlled heating and cooling to improve hardness or other properties.

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heat-treat British  

verb

1. (tr) to apply heat to (a metal or alloy) in one or more temperature cycles to give it desirable properties

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Other Word Forms

• heat treatment noun

Etymology

Origin of heat-treat

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

While consumers can also attempt to heat-treat raw flour at home, this isn't recommended because the flour may not be spread thinly enough to kill all of the microorganisms.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2023

By the time I met Shannon, she was the veteran in charge of training new heat-treat operators.

From New York Times • Oct. 7, 2021

In another shop, Conyers keeps an array of woodworking tools and machines that members can use, too, plus a small oven to heat-treat metal.

From Washington Times • Feb. 23, 2020

And he says that climate change, which made trees in southern Africa scarce around 60,000 years ago, helps explain why blunted miniblades are not seen at Border Cave: Wood is needed to heat-treat the stone.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 7, 2012

It is piped both to the Rouge and Highland Park plants where it is used for heat-treat purposes, for the enamelling ovens, for the car ovens, and the like.

From My Life and Work by Ford, Henry