iron
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
iron/ˈʌɪən/
▶noun
- 1 a strong, hard magnetic silvery-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, used in construction and manufacturing (especially as steel). (Symbol: Fe)
- 2 a tool or implement made of iron.
■ (irons) fetters or handcuffs.
- 3 a hand-held implement with a heated flat steel base, used to smooth clothes and linen.
- 4 a golf club with an angled metal head used for lofting the ball.
- 1 smooth (clothes) with an iron.
- 2 (iron something out) settle a difficulty or problem.
– phrases
have many (or other) irons in the fire have a range of options or interests.
an iron hand (or fist) in a velvet glove firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness.
have many (or other) irons in the fire have a range of options or interests.
an iron hand (or fist) in a velvet glove firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness.
– derivatives
ironer noun,
ironware noun.
ironer noun,
ironware noun.
– origin OE īren, īsen, īsern, of Gmc origin.
'iron' also found in these Oxford entries:
allanite
- alpenstock
- amosite
- angle
- angle iron
- anvil
- armature
- arsenopyrite
- assegai
- austenite
- basic oxygen process
- bauxite
- Bessemer process
- bilboes
- bit
- blacklead
- blacksmith
- blast furnace
- bloom
- bloomery
- bog iron
- bole
- brace
- brand
- branding iron
- branks
- Bronze Age
- camp
- carburize
- case-shot
- cast iron
- cauterize
- cementation
- cementite
- chalcopyrite
- chalybeate
- chlorite
- chlorosis
- chromite
- columbite
- copper
- cordierite
- core
- cramp
- crimp
- crocidolite
- crowbar
- crown glass
- curling tongs
- damascened
