brasero

(Sp. model spelled same [brasero] < brasa 'red hot coal' of Latin or pre-Roman origin, and -ero, a Spanish nominal suffix; hence, a place to put hot coal or firewood)

   Southern Texas: 1892.

   A type of brick oven used by Pueblo Indians and Mexicans, according to Watts. Also a container for holding hot charcoal, used for cooking or for heating. Carlisle comments that the term sometimes refers to a pile of hot coals. These definitions vary somewhat from those found in Spanish sources. The DRAE indicates that a brasero is a deep, circular metal dish with a rim in which one builds a fire for heating. It generally rests on a stand made of wood or metal. Santamaría notes that in Mexico it is a cooking range or stove. He also mentions a portable brasero and a smaller dish, or braserito, which was made of porcelain, clay, or silver and was an essential household item for smokers before the invention of the match.

   Alternate form: brassero.