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Glite Dictionary
smeltery

smeltery

9.1
A factory that melts ore to get metal
  • noun
  • /ˈsmɛltəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fundición
  • This site in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, was contaminated by a zinc smeltery operated from 1890 to 1980.

Examples

  • The old smeltery in town has been abandoned for years, leaving behind crumbling structures and rusted equipment.

  • Workers at the new smeltery are trained to safely handle hazardous materials during the metal extraction process.

  • The region's economy benefited greatly from the establishment of a modern smeltery that brings jobs and investment.

Synonyms

smelter
vssmeltery
  • Specialized
4 7.6

A factory where workers take metal out of rock by heating and melting

is an alternative term with identical meaning for the same plant

How Big

smeltery
  • Specialized
9.1
smelter
  • Specialized
4 7.6
forge
69 5.4
furnace
93 4.1

Surface Forms

smeltery singular
smelteries plural

Morphology

smeltery = smelt (transparent) = smelt + ery

Formed from 'smelt' + the productive place/collective suffix '-ery', so the meaning 'place where smelting occurs' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Smeltery comes from the verb smelt, which means 'to melt' metal out of rock, and the ending -ery means 'a place where something is done', as in bakery. So a smeltery is a place where metal is melted and taken from ore, which is why it means 'a factory where metals are smelted'.