ETYM Late Lat. crucibulum a hanging lamp, an earthen pot for melting metals (cf. Old Fren. croisel, creuseul, sort of lamp, crucible, French creuset crucible), prob. of German origin.
Vessel for fusing metals; melting-pot.
A vessel of heat-resisting material used for high temperature chemical reactions; SYN. melting pot.

The, Drama by Arthur Miller 1953. Inspired by the contemporary McCarthy persecutions of artists and writers, Miller dramatized the story of the Salem witch-hunt in Puritan New England, 1692. John Proctor attempts to take a stand against a rising tide of superstitious violence but is undermined by the guilt he feels about his affair with a young girl, Abigail. Although admitting to his lechery, Proctor ultimately refuses to confess to being in league with the Devil and is hanged.