crucible
noun
[ ˈkruːsɪb(ə)l ]
• a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.
• "the crucible tipped and the mould filled with liquid metal"
Origin:
late Middle English: from medieval Latin crucibulum ‘night lamp, crucible’ (perhaps originally a lamp hanging in front of a crucifix), from Latin crux, cruc- ‘cross’.
