鑪 (lú) - Furnace, hearth, crucible — a device for containing

鑪Tone 2

lú ｜ 24 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

鑪 · lú

Furnace, hearth, crucible — a device for containing fire and intense heat for metallurgy, alchemy, or ritual purposes.

Furnace, hearth, crucible — a device for containing

Usage highlights

Furnace fireAlchemical furnaceIronIncense burnerElectric furnaceFurnace operator

Synonyms

  • 爐— Furnace, stove (more common simplified/traditional variant)
  • 灶— Kitchen stove, cooking furnace
  • 窯— Kiln, oven (for ceramics)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The blacksmith heated the metal in the furnace (鑪).
  • Ancient alchemists used crucibles (鑪) in their experiments.
  • The ritual bronze was cast in a special furnace (鑪).
  • A modern electric furnace (電鑪) is used in laboratories.

Collocations

  • Furnace fire(鑪火)
  • Alchemical furnace(丹鑪)
  • Iron-smelting furnace(冶鐵鑪)
  • Incense burner(香鑪)
  • Electric furnace(電鑪)
  • Furnace operator(司鑪)

Idioms

  • To sit as if on a felt rug over a furnace(如坐針氈，如臥鑪炭)
  • The Great Furnace makes no distinction(洪鑪燎毛)
  • Refined in the furnace and tempered by fire(鑪錘百煉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically central to Chinese metallurgy, particularly bronze casting which was crucial for ritual vessels and weapons.
  • Important in Daoist alchemy for elixir preparation, representing transformation and purification.
  • Appears in Buddhist contexts as incense burners (香鑪) for rituals.

FAQ