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caul·dron also cal·dron

(kôldrən)

1. A large vessel, such as a kettle or vat, used for boiling.

2. A state or situation of great distress or unrest felt to resemble a boiling kettle or vat: a cauldron of conflicting corporate politics.

[Middle English caudron, caldroun, from Anglo-Norman cauderon, caldroun, diminutive of caudere, caldere, cooking pot, from Late Latin caldāria, pot for boiling, from feminine of Latin caldārius, suitable for warming, from calidus, warm; see kelə-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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