Also 4 calcene, 4–5 calcyne. [ad. med.L. calcināre, a term of the alchemists, ‘to burn like lime, to reduce to CALX.’
Prob. the med.L. word arose in Italy, where calcīna ‘lime, quick-lime,’ deriv. of It. calce, L. calcem, is cited by Du Cange in a Latin document of 1215; Florio has also calcinare to burn lime, ‘to burn minerals to correct the malignitie of them.’ The accentuation ca·lcening occurs in Chaucer; calci·ne is the pronunciation in Ben Jonson, and all the poets since; though some recent Dictionaries give ca·lcine either as an alternative or sole pronunciation.]
1. To reduce to quick-lime, or to an analogous substance, by roasting or burning; ‘to burn in the fire to a calx or friable substance’ J.
By the alchemists and early chemists this was supposed to be to reduce a mineral or metal to its purest or most refined residuum by driving off or consuming all the more volatile and perishable constituents; in reality it yielded in most cases a metallic oxide, though sometimes only a finely comminuted or sublimed form of a metal, or a desiccated form of other substance.
c. 1386. [see CALCINING vbl. sb.].
c. 1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 9. The science to brynge gold into calx … in þe corusible ȝe schal fynde þe gold calcyned and reducid into erþe.
1580. R. Day (title), The Key of Philosophie … howe to prepare, Calcine, Sublime, and dissolue all manner of Mineralls.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 599. Fire burneth and calcineth stone, whereof is made that mortar which bindeth all worke in masonry.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., II. iii. (1616), 624. I sent you of his feces there, calcin’d. Out of that calx, I ha’ wonne the salt of Mercvry.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 199. Swines hoofs burnt or Calcined till they be white.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 50. I would gladly know how Moses with an actuall fire calcin’d, or burnt the Golden Calfe into powder.
1799. G. Smith, Laborat., I. 77. A little nitre thrown into the crucible, which effectually calcines the remaining regulus of antimony.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 318. Take some oysters-shells, calcine them, by keeping them in a good fire for about an hour.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley, iv. 57. Mr. Wallace explained how the ironstone, or mine as it is called, is calcined in the kilns.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., s.v. Calcination, Copper and other ores are calcined, to drive off the sulphur, the sulphurets being oxidized and sulphuric acid being disengaged and volatilized.
b. To subject to a heat sufficient to desiccate thoroughly, destroy contained organisms, etc.
1880. Mac Cormac, Antisept. Surg., 105. Schröder and Dusch established that it was not necessary to calcine air.
c. fig. To purify or refine by consuming the grosser part.
1634. Habington, Castara (1870), 130. Yet you by a chaste Chimicke Art, Calcine fraile love to pietie.
1648. Earl Westmoreland, Otia Sacra (1879), 88. The Crimson streaks belace the Damaskt West, Calcin’d by night, rise pure Gold from the East.
a. 1711. Ken, Prepar., Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 159. Your Clay by the last Fire calcin’d, Shall to spiritual be refin’d.
2. gen. To burn to ashes, consume.
1641. M. Frank, Serm. (1672), 225. Though the general conflagration shall at last calcine these glorious structures into ashes.
1646. J. Hall, Poems, 1. Harmlesse reams … Tobacco can Calcine them soon to dust.
1855. Costello, Stor. Screen, 77. His body was found on the stone floor of his dormitory calcined to a cinder.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., I. 214. Calcining the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha.
b. fig.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Easter, i. As his death calcined thee to dust.
c. 1650. Denham, Progr. Learning, l. 157. Fiery disputes that union have calcined.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul, I. 19. There are souls in which the burning heat of some transfusing purpose calcines every other thought, [etc.].
3. intr. To suffer calcination.
1704. Newton, Opticks (1721), 329 (J.). This Crystal is a pellucid fissile Stone … enduring a red Heat without losing its transparency, and in a very strong Heat calcining without Fusion.
1771. Hamilton, in Phil. Trans., LXI. 49. Its cone in many parts has been calcined, and is still calcining, by the hot vapours.
1861. Beresf. Hope, Eng. Cathedr. 19th C., vi. 226. The drawback of these stones [clunch and chalk] is … that under fire they calcine.
