Definitions and meaning of iron
iron
Etymology
From Middle English iren, from Old English īsern, īsærn, īren, īsen, from Proto-West Germanic *īsarn, from Proto-Germanic *īsarną (“iron”), from Proto-Celtic *īsarnom (“iron”), a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈaɪən/
- (General American) enPR: ī'ərn, IPA(key): /ˈaɪɚn/
- (dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈaɪɹən/
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- Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)n
Noun
iron (countable and uncountable, plural irons)
- (uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
- (uncountable, physics, chemistry, metallurgy) A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.
- (uncountable, countable, metallurgy) Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.
- (countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.
- (usually plural, irons) Shackles.
- (slang) A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.
- 1948, Treasure of the Sierra Madre
- Ah, throw that old iron over here! We'll pick it up and go on our way.
- (uncountable) A dark shade of the colour/color silver.
- (Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from iron hoof, rhyming with poof; countable, offensive) A male homosexual.
- (golf) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.
- (uncountable, figuratively) Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.
- a will of iron
- He appeared easygoing, but inside he was pure iron.
- (weightlifting) Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.
- (countable, astronomy, geology) A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.
- A safety curtain in a theatre.
- (military, slang) Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.
Quotations
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:iron.
Synonyms
- (metallic chemical element): ferrum
- (tool for pressing clothing): flatiron (old-fashioned), smoothing iron (old-fashioned), clothes iron
- (shackles): shackles
- (homosexual): poof, queer
- (strength or power): energy, force
Hypernyms
- (metallic chemical element): chemical element, metal; atom
- (tool for pressing clothing): tool, mechanical device
- (shackles): restraint
- (handgun): weapon
- (dark shade of silver): colour, color; shade; silver
- (strength or power): force, might, energy
Hyponyms
- (shackles): leg irons
- (golf club): driving iron, long iron, short iron, 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron,
- (strength or power): ironman
- (tool for pressing clothing): box iron, charcoal iron, clothes iron, flatiron
Meronyms
- (parts or members of metallic chemical element): electron, neutron, proton
Holonyms
- (metallic chemical element): molecule (sometimes)
Coordinate terms
- (tool for pressing clothing): clothes press, mangle
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
See iron/translations § Noun.
Adjective
iron (not comparable)
- (not comparable) Made of the metal iron.
- (figuratively) Strong (as of will), inflexible.
- Synonyms: adamant, adamantine, brassbound
Hypernyms
- (made of the metal iron): metal, metallic
Hyponyms
- (made of the metal iron): wrought-iron
Derived terms
Translations
See also
Verb
iron (third-person singular simple present irons, present participle ironing, simple past and past participle ironed)
- (transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.
- (transitive, archaic) To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
- (transitive) To furnish or arm with iron.
Synonyms
- (to pass an iron over): press
Coordinate terms
- (to pass an iron over): mangle
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations
See also
Further reading
- “Iron” in David Barthelmy, Webmineral Mineralogy Database[1], 1997–.
- “iron”, in Mindat.org[2], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2021.
Anagrams
- Orin, RINO, Rion, inro, inrō, noir, nori, roin
Esperanto
Pronunciation
Noun
iron
- accusative singular of iro
Japanese
Romanization
iron
- Rōmaji transcription of いろん
Source: wiktionary.org- a metallic element.
(source: Collins Scrabble Dictionary)