Spanish Word of the Day: Horno (oven)

The Spanish word for oven, horno, originates from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰr̥-nós, which evolved into the Latin word furnus, meaning oven or bakery.

The horno, a mud-built outdoor oven, was utilised by Native Americans and early settlers in North America. Introduced to Spain and the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors, it was adopted in all Spanish-occupied lands.

The horno took the shape of a conical beehive (colmena) and was heated by wood (leña). This method is still practiced in parts of Mexico, where a fire is built inside the horno. Once the temperature inside the horno is sufficiently hot, the embers and ashes are removed, and the bread (pan) is placed inside to bake.

Horno is a masculine noun and take the following definite and indefinite articles:

• el horno = the oven
• los hornos = the ovens
• un horno = an oven
• unos hornos = some ovens

Typically the three types of oven you will find in a modern kitchen are:

• horno de gas = gas oven
• horno eléctrico = electric oven
• (horno) microondas = microwave (oven)

When you’re cooking (cocinando) with the oven, there are some important vocabulary words you need to know:

• bandeja de horno = baking tray
• fuente para el horno = oven dish
• papel del horno = baking parchment
• resistente al horno = ovenproof
• asar al horno = to oven roast or bake

Did you know that…?

The verb to oven cook or bake is hornear.

The 1st person singular present is horneo (I bake), and the past participle is horneado (baked)

A figurative use of the word horno is when you want to say a place is really hot, for example, the house (casa), the office (oficina), or the car (coche).

Synonyms for horno

You will sometimes hear different words used for the oven. These include:

cocina, hogar, chimenea, fogón, asador, estufa

As well as meaning oven, horno can be used in a technical sense, where the noun describes different types of ovens, kilns, or furnaces.

• horno de ladrillos = brick kiln (or oven made of bricks)
• horno de leña = wood fired oven
• horno para ahumar = smoking oven
• horno de/para cerámica = pottery kiln
• alto horno = blast furnace
• horno crematorio = incinerator
• horno de cal = lime kiln
• horno de fundición = smelting furnace

Useful idioms using horno:

And a final one for comical flavour, used in some parts of Latin America…