name · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈfɝnɪs/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɜːnɪs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nɪs
CMU ARPABET:F ER1 N AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A surname, variant of Furness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An industrial heating device, such as for smelting metal or firing ceramics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Plans for the next phase include furnaces capable of inert atmospheres and partial vacuums.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A device that provides heat for a building.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US
Examples
HVAC services include furnace maintenance.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Any area that is excessively hot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, figuratively
Examples
The busy kitchen became a sweltering furnace.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A place or time of punishment, affliction, or great trial; severe experience or discipline.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
forged in the furnace of fierce competition
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To heat in a furnace.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To exhale like a furnace.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: chamber
Narrower terms: athanor, blast furnace, crematory, crematorium, cremation chamber, cupola, electric furnace, firebox, forge, gas furnace, incinerator, kiln, oil burner, oil furnace, open-hearth furnace, reverberatory furnace, tank furnace
History
Etymology
From Middle English forneys, from Old French fornais (French fournaise), from Latin fornāx.
Across languages
Translations
120 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܐܲܬܘܼܢܵܐ
(āttuna)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Armenian:
հնոց
(hnocʻ)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Armenian:
քուրա
(kʻura)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Old Armenian:
բով
(bov)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Belarusian:
печ
(pječ)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Belarusian:
то́пка
(tópka)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Bulgarian:
пещ
(pešt)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Chichewa:
ng'anjo
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Chinese Mandarin:
爐子 /炉子
(lúzi)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Chinese Mandarin:
熔爐 /熔炉
(rónglú)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Chinese Mandarin:
爐 /炉
(lú)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Czech:
pec
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Dutch:
oven
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Dutch:
ketel
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Finnish:
sulatusuuni
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Finnish:
ahjo
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Finnish:
uuni
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Finnish:
masuuni
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
French:
four
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
French:
haut fourneau
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Galician:
forno
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
German:
Ofen
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
German:
Hochofen
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
German:
Schmelzofen
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Gothic:
𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌽𐍃
(auhns)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Greek:
καμίνι
(kamíni)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Greek:
φούρνος
(foúrnos)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ancient Greek:
κάμινος
(káminos)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ancient Greek:
βαῦνος
(baûnos)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Hebrew:
כּוּר
(kur)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Hindi:
भट्ठा
(bhaṭṭhā)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Hindi:
भट्ठी
(bhaṭṭhī)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Hungarian:
kemence
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Hungarian:
kohó
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Irish:
foirnéis
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Italian:
fornace
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Italian:
bruciatore
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Italian:
caldaia
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Japanese:
窯
(kama)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Japanese:
溶鉱炉
(yōkōro)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Japanese:
炉
(ro)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Korean:
노
(no)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Korean:
용광로
(yonggwangno)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Latin:
fornāx
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ligurian:
fornâxe
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Macedonian:
печка
(pečka)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Māori:
tahunga
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Mongolian:
пийшин
(piišin)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Persian:
کوره
(kure)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Polabian:
pic
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Polish:
piec
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Portuguese:
forno
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Portuguese:
fornalha
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Romanian:
furnal
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Russian:
печь
(pečʹ)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Russian:
горн
(gorn)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Russian:
до́мна
(dómna)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Russian:
то́пка
(tópka)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Serbo-Croatian:
пећ
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Serbo-Croatian:
peć
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Slovak:
vyhňa
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Slovak:
pec
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Slovene:
peč
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Spanish:
fragua
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Swedish:
masugn
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Tagalog:
dapugan
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Turkish:
fırın
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Turkish:
yüksek fırın
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ukrainian:
піч
(pič)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ukrainian:
то́пка
(tópka)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ukrainian:
го́рно
(hórno)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ukrainian:
горни́ло
(hornýlo)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Ukrainian:
вагра́нка
(vahránka)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Vietnamese:
lò
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Vietnamese:
lò sưởi
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Yiddish:
אויוון
(oyvn)
— device for heating in a factory, melting metals, etc
Catalan:
calefacció
— device for heating a building
Dutch:
ketel
— device for heating a building
Finnish:
uuni
— device for heating a building
Finnish:
lämmitysuuni
— device for heating a building
Finnish:
pannu
— device for heating a building
French:
chaudière
— device for heating a building
Galician:
calefacción
— device for heating a building
German:
Ofen
— device for heating a building
German:
Heizung
— device for heating a building
Hawaiian:
kapuahi hoʻomahana hale
— device for heating a building
Hungarian:
kályha
— device for heating a building
Hungarian:
kazán
— device for heating a building
Irish:
foirnéis
— device for heating a building
Italian:
caldaia
— device for heating a building
Italian:
bruciatore
— device for heating a building
Latin:
camīnus
— device for heating a building
Manx:
furnish
— device for heating a building
Polish:
piec
— device for heating a building
Portuguese:
fornalha
— device for heating a building
Russian:
печь
(pečʹ)
— device for heating a building
Lower Sorbian:
kamjeny
— device for heating a building
Spanish:
forno
— device for heating a building
Spanish:
fornalla
— device for heating a building
Swedish:
panna
— device for heating a building
Swedish:
värmepanna
— device for heating a building
Ottoman Turkish:
كولخان
(külhan)
— device for heating a building
Ukrainian:
піч
(pič)
— device for heating a building
Ukrainian:
гру́бка
(hrúbka)
— device for heating a building