[f. SMELT v. + -ER1. Cf. Du. smelter, MSw. and Sw. smältare, G. schmelzer.]
1. One who smelts; a workman engaged in smelting; also, an owner of smelting-works.
1455. in Mem. Fountains Abbey (Surtees), 364. [Nicholas Bucke employed by the abbot as a] smeltar [at his lead mines].
1582. in Trans. Jewish Hist. Soc. (1903), IV. 93. All manner of Charges of fireworke and smeltars wages.
1778. W. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 68. The smelter having taken to himself perhaps one part more for his expence.
1812. Brackenridge, Views of Louisiana (1814), 149. The miners usually … dispose of their ore to the smelters.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., I. ii. § 1 (1876), 19. The miners and smelters who extracted or prepared the iron.
1891. Daily News, 6 July, 2/6. In the iron trade, manufacturers and smelters are not disposed to accept forward contracts at the current rates.
b. Smelter’s fume (see quot.).
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2220/1. Smelter’s Fume.… The metallic fume resulting from the smelting of lead, the sublimation of zinc from ore, mercury from cinnabar, etc.
2. Smelting-works; a smeltery. Orig. U.S.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 235. Several smelters are in course of construction to reduce these ores to ingots at home.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 12 July, 3/2. On completion of eight additional smelters and other works.
3. attrib., as smelter-man, returns.
1896. Columbus (Ohio) Disp., 4 Sept. The millionaire smelterman.
1898. Liebold, Woman Proposes, 68. We tax the gross output of the mines based on the mill and smelter returns.
