kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven, furnace, or heated enclosure used for processing a substance by burning, firing, or drying

kiln transitive verb

Did you know?

The word kiln was kindled in Old English as a bundle of c-y-l-n. Unlike many words that descend from Old English, however, kiln is not ultimately Germanic in origin but was borrowed from Latin culina, meaning "kitchen," an ancestor of the English word culinary, which has been a menu option in English since the 17th century. An ingredient in culina is coquere, meaning "to cook" in Latin.

Examples of kiln in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Limestone and clay are ground up and fed into a very long rotating kiln heated to about 1,450C (2,640F). —Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Once the plants had established a good root network, they and the growth media were placed in a kiln and heated to over 1,000 ºC (1,832 ºF). —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 24 Nov. 2024

Seating is available between the historic brick kilns, but in fair weather, grab your food to go and explore the trails snaking through the surrounding forested ravines. —Ingrid K. Williams, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Together, the chemical reaction inside the kiln and the fuel used for heat produces the bulk of the carbon pollution. —Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kilne, from Old English cyln, from Latin culina kitchen, from coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

kiln

noun

ˈkiln  ˈkil 

: an oven or furnace for hardening, burning, or drying something

brick kilns

kiln verb