/ ˈkruːsɪbl; NAmE / noun
1.
a pot in which substances are heated to high temperatures, metals are melted, etc.
2.
( formal or literary ) a place or situation in which people or ideas are tested severely, often creating sth new or exciting in the process
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from medieval Latin crucibulum night lamp, crucible (perhaps originally a lamp hanging in front of a crucifix), from Latin crux , cruc- cross.