爐 (lú) - Furnace, stove, oven — a device for containing

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lú ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

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Furnace, stove, oven — a device for containing fire and generating heat, used for heating, cooking, or industrial processes like smelting.

Furnace, stove, oven — a device for containing

Usage highlights

FurnaceFireplaceStoveElectric furnaceBlast furnaceIncense burner

Synonyms

  • 灶— cooking stove, kitchen range
  • 窑— kiln (especially for ceramics, bricks)

Antonyms

  • 冰— ice (opposite of heat/fire)
  • 霜— frost (cold, opposite of furnace's warmth)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blacksmith heated the metal in the furnace (熔炉).
  • We gathered around the fireplace (壁炉) on a cold evening.
  • Traditional Chinese medicine uses moxibustion with a moxa burner (艾灸炉).
  • The factory installed a new industrial furnace (工业炉).

Collocations

  • Furnace(炉子)
  • Fireplace(壁炉)
  • Stove(火炉)
  • Electric furnace(电炉)
  • Blast furnace(高炉)
  • Incense burner(香炉)

Idioms

  • To temper through repeated trials(百炼成钢，炉火纯青)
  • To be reborn from the flames(浴火重生，出自炉中)
  • A furnace in summer and an icehouse in winter — extremes of temperature(夏炉冬扇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically essential in Chinese metallurgy, ceramics, and alchemy, representing transformation through fire.
  • In Daoist alchemy, the 'furnace' metaphorically refers to the lower dantian where vital energy is refined.
  • Incense burners (香炉) are important in religious and ceremonial contexts, especially in temples and ancestral worship.

FAQ