What is "catalan forge"

Forge \Forge\ (f[=o]rj), n. [F. forge, fr. L. fabrica the workshop of an artisan who works in hard materials, fr. faber artisan, smith, as adj., skillful, ingenious; cf. Gr. ? soft, tender. Cf. Fabric.]

1. A place or establishment where iron or other metals are wrought by heating and hammering; especially, a furnace, or a shop with its furnace, etc., where iron is heated and wrought; a smithy.

   In the quick forge and working house of thought.
   --Shak.

2. The works where wrought iron is produced directly from the ore, or where iron is rendered malleable by puddling and shingling; a shingling mill.

3. The act of beating or working iron or steel; the manufacture of metallic bodies. [Obs.]

   In the greater bodies the forge was easy.
   --Bacon.

   American forge, a forge for the direct production of wrought iron, differing from the old Catalan forge mainly in using finely crushed ore and working continuously.
   --Raymond.

   Catalan forge. (Metal.) See under Catalan.

   Forge cinder, the dross or slag form a forge or bloomary.

   Forge rolls, Forge train, the train of rolls by which a bloom is converted into puddle bars.

   Forge wagon (Mil.), a wagon fitted up for transporting a blackmith's forge and tools.

   Portable forge, a light and compact blacksmith's forge, with bellows, etc., that may be moved from place to place.

Catalan \Cat"a*lan\, a. Of or pertaining to Catalonia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Catalonia; also, the language of Catalonia.

Catalan furnace, Catalan forge (Metal.), a kind of furnace for producing wrought iron directly from the ore. It was formerly much used, esp. in Catalonia, and is still used in some parts of the United States and elsewhere.