Smelting
/ˈsmɛltɪŋ/noun
The process of extracting a metal from its ore by heating and melting it.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “to melt,” and the same ancient family also gave English words tied to softness, flow, and liquid heat.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to grind, crush, or make soft”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smeltaną
“to melt, dissolve”
Old English
OE
smeltan
“to melt, fuse, or dissolve by heat”
Middle English
ME
smelten
“to melt or fuse metal by heat”
Modern English
English
smelting
“the extraction of metal from ore by heating”