cauldron

noun

caul·​dron ˈkȯl-drən 

variants or less commonly caldron

1

: a large kettle or boiler

2

: something resembling a boiling cauldron in intensity or degree of agitation

a cauldron of intense emotions

Examples of cauldron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

October includes spooky tutorials like this cauldron cake or a kid-friendly haunted gingerbread house. —Alex Golden, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024

This cauldron uses tap water and plugs into a standard outlet. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 23 Sep. 2024

At the Jardins des Tuileries, Marchand walked up to the hot air balloon where the Olympic cauldron was located for the past two weeks. —Lukas Weese, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024

Glow sticks illuminated another skeleton chilling in the drink cooler and a cauldron full of candy. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English caudron, caldron, from Anglo-French cauderon, diminutive of caldere basin, from Late Latin caldaria, from feminine of Latin caldarius used for hot water, from calidus warm, from calēre to be warm — more at lee

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cauldron

noun

caul·​dron

variants also caldron

ˈkȯl-drən

1

: a large kettle

2

: something resembling a boiling cauldron in intensity or degree of agitation

a cauldron of intense emotion

Etymology

Middle English caldron, cauldron "cauldron," from earlier cauderon (same meaning), derived from an early French dialect word caudiere "basin," derived from Latin calidus "warm," from calēre "to be hot" — related to calorie, nonchalant