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A test of the most decisive kind; a severe trial; as, the crucible of affliction. Hessian crucible (Chem.), a cheap, brittle, and fragile, but very refractory crucible, composed of the finest fire clay and sand, and commonly used for a single heating; -- named from the place of manufacture.

Cast steel made by fusing in crucibles crude or scrap steel, wrought iron, and other ingredients and fluxes.

oke with clay, molasses, tar, or other suitable substance. It is used for lining hearths, crucibles, etc. Called also steep.

A globule of metal remaining onan assay cupel or in a crucible, after fusion. Button hook, a hook for catching a button and drawing it through a buttonhole, as in buttoning boots and gloves. -- Button shell (Zoöl.), a small, univalve marine shell of the genus Rotella. -- Button snakeroot. (Bot.) (a) The American comp…

A crucible or melting pot; a cruset. Crabb.

A crucible. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A goldsmith's crucible or melting pot.

elting other substances, esp. by mixture with them; a menstruum; a solvent. Melted in the crucible dissolvents. A. Smith. The secret treaty of December acted as an immediate dissolvent to the truce. Mothley.

missile in war. (b) The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace. (c) A crucible. (d) A solderer's furnace. -- Fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. -- Fire set…

The crucible or basin in a furnace which receives the molten metal. Knight.

s to leave a trace on paper. It is used for pencils (improperly called lead pencils), for crucibles, and as a lubricator, etc. Often called plumbago or black lead. Graphite battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery consisting of zinc and carbon in sulphuric acid, or other exciting liquid.

A hook used in lifting a crucible.

Thackeray. -- Hessian cloth, or Hessians, a coarse hempen cloth for sacking. -- Hessian crucible. See under Crucible. -- Hessian fly (Zoöl.), a small dipterous fly or midge (Cecidomyia destructor). Its larvæ live between the base of the lower leaves and the stalk of wheat, and are very destructive to young wheat; --…

incapble or difficalt of fusion, or of being dissolved or melted. Sir T. Browne. The best crucibles are made of Limoges earth, which seems absolutely infusible. Lavoisier (Trans. ).

The brightening of a metal in the crucible when it becomes pure, as in certain refining processes.

To close or seal with lute; as, to lute on the cover of a crucible; to lute a joint.

that of urea is 132º Centigrade. -- Melting pot, a vessel in which anything is melted; a crucible.

A wooden implement used by potters, crucible makers, etc., for forming, beating, and rounding their works. It is oval, round, and of other forms.

nfusible, and characterized by its resistance to strong chemical reagents. It is used for crucibles, for stills for sulphuric acid, rarely for coin, and in the form of foil and wire for many purposes. Specific gravity 21.5. Atomic weight 194.3. Symbol Pt. Formerly called platina. Platinum black (Chem.), a soft, dull bl…

A crucible; as, a graphite pot; a melting pot.