Molten Meaning: Definition and Examples

Meaning 1：liquefied by heat (molten)

molten 🔊

/ˈmoʊltən/

adj.

Describes a solid material that has been heated until it becomes a flowing liquid.

Molten metal being poured from a crucible in a blacksmith workshop

liquefied by heat 🔊

➕

/ˈlɪkwɪfaɪd baɪ hiːt/

adj.

Describes a solid material that has been heated until it becomes a flowing liquid, typically referring to metals, rock, or glass.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'meltan' (to melt); past participle form 'molten' developed in Middle English.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'molten' as 'melt' + 'ten' — imagine heating ten metal bars until they become one flowing river of liquid.

📖 Example

The blacksmith poured molten iron into a mold to create a sword blade. 🔊 The blacksmith poured molten iron into a mold to create a sword blade.

🔗 Collocations

molten rock – Rock that has been melted by volcanic heat (magma or lava).

molten steel – Steel in liquid form, typically at extremely high temperatures in a foundry.

molten lava – Liquid rock that flows from a volcano during an eruption.

🔄 Synonyms

liquefied (adj.) – Turned into a liquid state, often by heat or pressure.

fused (adj.) – Melted together, especially by heat, into a single mass.

smelted (adj.) – Melted ore to extract metal; often used for industrial processes.

🚫 Antonyms

solid (adj.) – Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid.

frozen (adj.) – Turned into ice or solid from cold; opposite of molten.

hard (adj.) – Resistant to deformation; not easily melted or liquefied.

🌱 Derivatives

melt (v.) – To change from solid to liquid by heating.

meltable (adj.) – Capable of being melted.

moltenly (adv.) – In a molten manner; like molten material.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'molten' is the archaic past participle of 'melt', preserved in modern English to describe metals and glass heated to liquid state. It is commonly used in industrial contexts like foundries and volcanology.