or rather Annealing, a term used for the preparing of several matters, by heating or baking them in the oven, or the like.

Annealing of glass, is the baking of glass, to dry, harden, and give it the due consistence, after it has been blown, and fashioned into the proper works. This is usually performed in a kind of tower called the leir, built over the melting furnace. See Glass.

Annealing of glass is also used for the art of staining glass with metallic colours. "One fine use of silver (says Mr. Boyle) was only discovered since the art of annealing upon glass came to be practised. For prepared silver, or even the crude metal, being burnt on a glass plate, will tinge it of a fine yellow or golden colour. And there are several mineral earths, and other coarse matters of use in this art, which by means of fire impart transparent colours to glass, and sometimes very different ones from those of the bodies themselves.

Annealing of steel, is the heating it in the fire to a blood-red heat, and then taking it out, and letting it cool gently of itself. This is done to make it softer, in order to engrave or punch upon it. See Tempering and Engraving.

Annealing is also used for the art or act of burning or baking earthen or other ware in an oven. The miners at Mendip, when they meet with a rock they cannot cut through, anneal it by laying on wood and coal, and contriving the fire so that they quit the mine before the operation begins, it being dangerous to enter it again before it be quite cleared of the smoke.

Annealing of tile is used in ancient statutes for the burning of tile. The word is formed of the Saxon ansian, ascendere, to light, burn.