athanor

[ ath-uh-nawr ]

noun

, Alchemy.

1. a digester furnace with a self-feeding fuel supply contained in a towerlike contrivance, ensuring a constant, durable temperature.

Word History and Origins

Origin of athanor¹

1425–75; late Middle English ≪ Arabic at tannūr the furnace

Example Sentences

We know of the athanor of the alchemists of the middle ages.

From Project Gutenberg

None of us would have admitted that we believed in stone or elixir, the old Oxfordshire clergyman excited no belief, yet one among us certainly laboured with crucible or athanor.

From Project Gutenberg

From documents which we posses we can see his supervising the construction of the athanor, or alchemists' furnace, buying pelicans, crucibles, and retorts.

From Project Gutenberg

My son," M. d'Asterac began to say again, "you do not sufficiently feed the athanor.

From Project Gutenberg

There was no conflagration but a terrible fire, burning in a big furnace with reflectors, which as I have since learned are called athanors.

From Project Gutenberg