molten
molten Lexical Profile
molten Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Liquefied by intense heat, especially of materials with a high melting point such as metal, rock, or glass.
"The glassblower carefully gathered a glowing orb of molten glass on the end of the blowpipe."
Having a glowing, luminous, or fiery quality resembling liquefied metal or lava.
"The setting sun cast a ribbon of molten gold across the calm surface of the bay."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Molten' is used exclusively for materials with very high melting points that require intense heat to liquefy, such as metal, rock, or glass (e.g., 'molten lava', 'molten gold'), whereas 'melted' is used for substances that liquefy at ordinary temperatures, such as ice, butter, or chocolate.
• Rhymes for molten
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'molten', originally the strong past participle of 'melten' (to melt), from Old English 'gemolten'. While 'melted' eventually replaced it as the standard verbal participle, 'molten' survived as a specialized adjective.