calcine

calc·ine
C3A1L1C3I1N1E1
UK/ˈkælsaɪn/UK/-sɪn/UK/kælˈsaɪn/US/ˈkælˌsaɪn/

verb

To heat (a substance) to remove its impurities and refine it.

Similar
calcinatecharkcalcinize
OriginMiddle English calcinen ← Old French calciner ← Medieval Latin calcināre →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

verbcalcine (third-person singular simple present calcines, present participle calcining, simple past and past participle calcined)

present singular third person calcines · participle present calcining · participle past calcined · past calcined · first person past singular calcined · archaic present second person singular calcinest · past second person singular calcined · archaic past second person singular calcinedst · present singular third person calcines · archaic present singular third person calcineth · past singular third person calcined · past plural calcined · past subjunctive calcined · participle present calcining · participle past calcined

  1. historicaltransitivealchemyTo heat (a substance) to remove its impurities and refine it.
  2. physicaltransitivechemistryTo heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it; specifically, to decompose (carbonates) into oxides, and, especially, to heat (limestone) to form quicklime.

    I ſent you of his fæces there, calcin'd. / Out of that calx, I'ha'vvonne the ſalt of Mercurie.

    1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC, Act II, scene iii
    1 more example

    Fire […] burneth and calcineth ſtone, vvhereof is made that morter vvhich bindeth all vvork in maſonry.

    1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXVI.] The Wonderfull Operations of Fire: The Medicinable Properties that It Hath: And the Prodigious Significations Observed thereby.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 599

    Synonyms: calcinate, chark

  3. broadlytransitiveTo heat (something) to dry and sterilize it.
  4. figurativelytransitiveTo purify or refine (something).
  5. figurativelytransitiveTo burn up (something) completely; to incinerate; hence, to destroy (something).

    [A]s his death calcined thee to duſt, / His life may make thee gold, and much more juſt.

    [1633], George Herbert, “Easter”, in [Nicholas Ferrar], editor, The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC, page 33
    4 more examples

    I vvould gladly knovv hovv Moſes vvith an actuall fire calcin'd or burnt the Golden Calfe unto povvder, for that myſticall metall of Gold, vvhoſe ſolary and celeſtiall nature I admire, expoſed unto the violence of fire, grovveth onely hot and liquifies, but conſumeth not: […]

    1642, Tho[mas] Browne, “The First Part”, in Religio Medici. […], 4th edition, London: […] E. Cotes for Andrew Crook […], published 1656, →OCLC, section 50, page 108

    Fiery diſputes, that Union have calcin'd, / Almoſt as many minds as men vve find, / And vvhen that flame finds combuſtible Earth, / VVhence Fatuus fires and Meteors take their birth, / Legions of Sects, and Inſects come in throngs; / To name them all, vvould tire a hundred tongues.

    1668, John Denham, “The Progress of Learning”, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: […] [John Macock] for H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC, page 181

    It nothing skills: I cannot help my case: / The Judgment's fire alone can cure this place, / Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free.

    1855, Robert Browning, “‘Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.’”, in Men and Women […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, stanza 11, page 139

    […] He fain had calcined all Northumbria / To one black ash, but that thy patriot passion / Siding with our great Council against Tostig, / Out-passion'd his!

    1877, Alfred Tennyson, Harold: A Drama, London: Henry S. King & Co., →OCLC, Act III, scene i, page 74

    Synonyms: calcinize

  6. intransitivephysicalchemistryOf a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it.

    This Cryſtal is a pellucid fiſſile Stone, clear as Water or Cryſtal of the Rock, and without Colour; enduring a red Heat without loſing its tranſparency, and in a very ſtrong Heat calcining without Fuſion.

    a. 1728 (date written), Isaac Newton, “[The Third Book of Opticks.] [Qu[estion] 25. Are there not other original Properties of the Rays of Light, besides those already described?]”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light. […], 4th edition, London: […] William Innys […], published 1730, →OCLC, page 329
nouncalcine (plural calcines)

plural calcines

  1. Something calcined; also, material left over after burning or roasting.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it; specifically, to decompose (carbonates) into oxides, and, especially, to heat (limestone) to form quicklime.

Similar
calcinatechark

verbTo burn up (something) completely; to incinerate; hence, to destroy (something).

Similar
calcinize

Origin

  1. Pre-Greek
  2. Ancient Greekχᾰ́λῐξ“small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble”
  3. Latincalcis
  4. Late Latincalcīna“inorganic material containing calcium, lime”
  5. Medieval Latincalcināre“(alchemy) to burn like lime; to reduce to calx”
  6. Old Frenchcalciner
  7. Middle Englishcalcinen“(alchemy, medicine) to heat (something) until it turns to powder; to change the nature of (something) by heating”
  8. Englishcalcine

The verb is derived from Late Middle English calcinen (“(alchemy, medicine) to heat (something) until it turns to powder; to change the nature of (something) by heating”) [and other forms], from Old French calciner (modern French calciner (“to calcinate; to calcine”)) and from its etymon Medieval Latin calcināre (“(alchemy) to burn like lime; to reduce to calx”), from Late Latin calcīna (“inorganic material containing calcium, lime”) + -āre (suffix forming present active infinitive forms of verbs). Calcīna is derived from Latin calcis, the genitive singular of calx (“chalk; limestone”), possibly from Ancient Greek χᾰ́λῐξ (khắlĭx, “small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble”); further etymology unknown, possibly Pre-Greek. The noun is derived from the verb.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian калцинирам, калцинирам се
  • калцинирам (kalciniram)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • калцинирам се (kalciniram se)of a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
Catalan calcinar
  • calcinarto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Chinese Mandarin 煅
  • 煅 (duàn)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Danish udgløde, gløde ud
  • udglødeto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • gløde udof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
Finnish kalsinoida, pasuttaa
  • kalsinoidato heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • pasuttaato heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • pasuttuaof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
French calciner
  • calcinerto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
German calcinieren, kalzinieren
  • calcinierento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • kalzinierento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • ausglühento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • brennento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • glühento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • Kalk brennento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • kalkbrennento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • röstento heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Greek απασβεστώνω
  • απασβεστώνω (apasvestóno)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Hungarian kalcinál, éget
  • kalcinálto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • égetto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • hevítto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • kiégetto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • kalcinálódikof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
  • égof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
  • hevülof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
  • kiégof a substance: to undergo heating so as to oxidize it
Italian calcinare, calcinàre
  • calcinareto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • calcinàreto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Norwegian Bokmål kalsinere
  • kalsinereto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Polish prażyć, uprażyć
  • prażyćto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • uprażyćto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Romanian a calcina
  • a calcinato heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Russian кальцини́ровать, обже́чь
  • кальцини́ровать (kalʹcinírovatʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • обже́чь (obžéčʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • обжига́ть (obžigátʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • прока́ливать (prokálivatʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • выка́ливать (vykálivatʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • выкаля́ть (vykaljátʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
  • вы́калить (výkalitʹ)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Spanish calcinar
  • calcinarto heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it
Tamil சுடு
  • சுடு (cuṭu)to heat (a substance) without melting in order to drive off water, etc., and to oxidize or reduce it

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

calcein
Cite this entry
APA

calcine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calcine

MLA

“calcine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calcine. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calcine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calcine.

Source: calcine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.