Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

cauldron

/ˈkɔːl.dɹən/ noun

In Latin: cortīna, lebēs Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cauldron at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A very large pot that is used for boiling.

Origin

From Middle English caudroun, borrowed from Old Northern French caudron, ultimately from Late Latin caldāria (“cooking-pot”), from Latin caldus (“hot”). Spelling later Latinized by having an l inserted. See chowder, caldera. The military sense is a semantic loan from German Kessel; compare English kettling.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word