Hearth /härTH/

1a : a brick, stone, or concrete area in front of a fireplace

b: the floor of a fireplace

also : FIREPLACE

c: the lowest section of a furnace

especially : the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat

2: HOME

longed for the comforts of hearth and home

3: a vital or creative center

the central hearth of occidental civilization—A. L. Kroeber