furnace
UK[ˈfɜː.nɪs]US[ˈfɜːr.nɪs]
n
an enclosed structure in which heat is produced, as for heating houses, melting metals, or reducing ores.
Etymology
the word "furnace" entered english in the early 13th century from the old french "fornais," which itself derived from the latin "fornax," meaning "oven" or "furnace." the latin term is thought to stem from the proto-indo-european root gwher-, meaning "to heat" or "to warm," a root which also gave rise to words like "warm," "thermal," and "fornication" (via the latin "fornix," for a vaulted chamber, later associated with brothels). the semantic journey is direct, from the ancient concept of a heated enclosure to the modern industrial and domestic apparatus for generating intense heat.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from old french. it does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
the old steel mill had a massive blast furnace that operated day and night.
during the winter, the furnace in the basement keeps the entire house warm.
the jeweler placed the gold in a small, high-temperature furnace to melt it.