Calcine

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkælsaɪn/

Definitions

1. To subject a solid to high temperatures while exposed to air or oxygen for the purpose of chemical decomposition and removal of impurities
2. To heat a substance to a high temperature in the presence of oxygen to facilitate its thermal decomposition and eliminate unwanted materials
3. The process of heating a mineral or metal in air at elevated temperatures to break it down chemically and purify it from impurities

Etymology: Ancient chalk and limestone sat at the heart of this word's story. Latin "calx" meant chalk or limestone, and it may trace back to a Greek word for a small stone or pebble, though its deeper origin is unknown and possibly predates Greek. Late Latin then built "calcina" from that root, meaning lime or calcium-bearing material, and medieval Latin turned it into a verb, "calcinare," which in alchemy meant to burn something until it became like lime, reduced to powder. That alchemical sense passed into Old French as "calciner" and then into Middle English as "calcinen," where it meant heating something until it crumbled into powder or changed its nature through fire. The modern chemical sense, heating a solid in air to drive off impurities, grew out of that older kitchen-and-laboratory practice of turning stone into lime.

Synonyms: burn, dehydrate, roast, oxidize, sinter