blast furnace

noun

1. a large vertical furnace for smelting iron from ore, using coke as fuel: designed so as to direct a continuous blast of air through the fuel in order to obtain a high rate of combustion.

blast furnace

noun

1. a vertical cylindrical furnace for smelting iron, copper, lead, and tin ores. The ore, scrap, solid fuel, and slag-forming materials are fed through the top and a blast of preheated air is forced through the charge from the bottom. Metal and slag are run off from the base

Word History and Origins

Origin of blast furnace¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Tata has closed its two coal-fired blast furnaces and is to replace them with an electric furnace that will need fewer workers.

From BBC

On Monday, as the blast furnaces were being shut down for the last time, Tata steelworker Cassius Walker-Hunt labelled the moment as the "the dragon's final breath".

From BBC

He has been one of the photographers allowed regular access to capture the closure of Tata Steel's blast furnaces, with the expected switch off on Monday ending the traditional way of steelmaking in Wales.

From BBC

Tata Steel is expected to remove the last usable liquid iron from blast furnace 4 on Monday afternoon.

From BBC

Gabriella Jukes' grandfather, uncles and cousins have all worked in Port Talbot's steel plant, which on Monday will see the second of its two blast furnaces shut down - ending traditional steelmaking in south Wales.

From BBC