annealing

To subject to great heat and then (often slow) cooling, and sometimes reheating and further cooling, for the purpose of rendering less brittle; to temper; to toughen.

To cool glass slowly, to minimize internal stress.

To burn colors onto a glass or other surface.

To make a double-stranded nucleic acid by pairing a single strand with a complementary strand.

To strengthen or harden.

“The experience annealed them, strengthening their resolve.”

The heating of solid metal or glass to high temperatures and cooling it slowly so that its particles arrange into a defined lattice.

“Without annealing, the quality of our metal products will diminish.”