crucible
noun
Tom Wolfe
Did you know?
Unless you’re studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in school, it may not be crucial to learn the story behind crucible, but it can’t hurt! Crucible looks like it should be closely related to the Latin combining form cruc- (“cross”); however, unlike crucial, it isn’t. It was forged instead from the Medieval Latin crucibulum, a noun for an earthen pot used to melt metals, and in English it first referred to a vessel made of a very heat-resistant material (such as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. It’s possible that the resemblance between cruc- and crucible encouraged people to start using crucible to mean “a severe trial,” as that sense is synonymous with one meaning of cross, but the idea of simmering in a literal crucible also sounds plenty severe. The newest sense of crucible (“a situation in which great changes take place,” as in “forged in the crucible of war”) recalls the fire and heat required to transform some solids into liquids.
Examples of crucible in a Sentence
Jason Farago, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Switzerland, renowned for its pristine landscapes and cutting-edge science, has long been a crucible for luxury skincare innovation.
—Julie Loffredi, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The novel is an inventive ode to self-determination and also a surrealistic vision of Black life as forged within the crucible of American history.
—The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Sprinkle’s team had a plan and executed the plan under the crucible of the NCAAs against an opponent from a power conference with a comparable seed.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Characterized by unprecedented challenges and shifts in consumer behavior, this area was a crucible for culinary ventures caught in the throes of the fight to stay afloat.
—Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024
Forged in the crucible of the Indian freedom struggle, inspired by the pluralistic ethos of its leader Mahatma Gandhi (who was not related to her) and of her father, Nehru, Indira Gandhi was deeply committed to the idea that India belonged equally to citizens of all faiths.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
This state was possible only if the iron atoms had been cooked in a terrific crucible of around two million degrees Fahrenheit.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
Within this expanding cannabis industry, the pre-roll market stands as a crucible of innovation and competition.
—Harrison Bard, Rolling Stone, 3 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crucible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Crucible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crucible. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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