Calcine
/ˈkæl.saɪn/noun
To heat a substance strongly so that it changes chemically, often by oxidation or by driving off volatile parts.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern alchemy, calcination was one of the first purification steps, where metals and minerals were reduced to ash-like residue before being further transmuted.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kal-
“to burn, be hot”
Latin
Latin
calx
“lime, burnt stone”
Late Latin
Latin
calcinare
“to burn into lime; to reduce to powder by heating”
Old French
Old French
calciner
“to burn, scorch, or reduce to lime”
Middle English
English
calcinen
“to burn or reduce a substance to powder by heat”
Modern English
English
calcine
“to heat a substance strongly so it undergoes chemical change or becomes calcined”