| muffle | 1. Anything with which another thing, as an oar or drum, is muffled; also, a boxing glove; a muff. 2. <chemistry> An earthenware compartment or oven, often shaped like a half cylinder, used in furnaces to protect objects heated from the direct action of the fire, as in scorification of ores, cupellation of ore buttons, etc. 3. A small oven for baking and fixing the colours of painted or printed pottery, without exposing the pottery to the flames of the furnace or kiln. 4. A pulley block containing several sheaves. Origin: F. Moufle, prop, a mitten, from the resemblance in shape. See Muffle, Muff. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| muffle furnace | An electric furnace heated by direct transfer of heat from a resistant muffle, a dental furnace heated by a muffle. (05 Mar 2000) |