n. 1. An apparatus in which electricity or a fuel is used to furnish heat, as for cooking or warmth. 2. A device that produces heat for specialized, especially industrial, purposes. 3. A kiln. 4. Chiefly British A hothouse. [Middle English, heated room, probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch, both probably from Vulgar Latin *extūfa, from *extūfāre, to heat with steam; see STEW.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
v. A past tense and a past participle of stave. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.