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smelter

American  
[smel-ter] / ˈsmɛl tər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that smelts.

  2. a person who owns or works in a place where ores are smelted.

  3. a place where ores are smelted.


smelter British  
/ ˈsmɛltə /

noun

  1. a person engaged in smelting

  2. Also called: smeltery. an industrial plant in which smelting is carried out

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of smelter

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; smelt 1 + -er 1


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:

Mr. Donovan writes that “tariffs on primary aluminum won’t build a single smelter in the U.S.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

That equates to 48 downstream U.S. jobs for every one job at a smelter — and that includes more than 170 extrusion plants in 36 states.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Grant said it was an apt name because his company aimed to rebuild a metals supply chain for America with a smelter planned for Arkansas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Even if the strait reopens, resuming smelter production might take six months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

His invention, it turned out, could also cleanse noxious vapors and particulates from smelter effluent, coal particles from mine air, and much more.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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