molten

[mohl-tn]

verb

1. a past participle of melt.

adjective

1. liquefied by heat; in a state of fusion; melted.

   molten lead.

2. produced by melting and casting.

   a molten image.

molten

/ ˈməʊltən /

adjective

1. liquefied; melted

   molten lead

2. made by having been melted

   molten casts

verb

1. the past participle of melt

Other Word Forms

• moltenly adverb
• supermolten adjective
• unmolten adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of molten¹

1250–1300; Middle English; old past participle of melt ¹

Example Sentences

The "swarm" of tens of thousands of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini earlier this year was triggered by molten rock pumping through an underground channel over three months, scientists have discovered.

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According to Miyazaki, Earth was once encased in a global ocean of molten rock.

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Workers in Building 602 made boosters through a process called melt casting, in which TNT is heated to a molten state and mixed with a more sensitive compound to increase its shock energy.

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In contrast, chondrites retain primitive solar system dust as well as small molten droplets called chondrules.

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Primary waves are the only kind that can travel through both solid rock and molten lava.

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