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Definition of furnace
furnace
/ˈfɝː.nɪs/
fur · nace
Plural:furnaces
furnace Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
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Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American A large appliance, typically installed in a basement or utility room, that heats air or water to be circulated throughout a building.
Example
"When the winter storm hit, our basement furnace struggled to keep the house warm."
2
An enclosed structure in which material can be heated to very high temperatures, typically used for smelting metals, firing ceramics, or burning refuse.
Example
"The steelworkers carefully monitored the temperature inside the blast furnace."
3
A place or environment characterized by extreme or oppressive heat.
Example
"By midday, the small, unventilated attic had become a furnace."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for furnace Antonyms
View all antonyms for furnace• Rhymes for furnace
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English furneys, borrowed from Old French fornais, which derived from Latin fornax (oven, furnace), from the base fornus (oven).
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Furnace. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/furnace