iron

American  

[ahy-ern] / ˈaɪ ərn /

noun

• irons
  plural

1. Chemistry. a ductile, malleable, silver-white metallic element, scarcely known in a pure condition, but much used in its crude or impure carbon-containing forms for making tools, implements, machinery, etc. Fe; 55.847; 26; 7.86 at 20°C.

2. something hard, strong, rigid, unyielding, or the like.

   hearts of iron.

3. an instrument, utensil, weapon, etc., made of iron.

4. an appliance with a flat metal bottom, used when heated, as by electricity, to press or smooth clothes, linens, etc.

5. Golf. one of a series of nine iron-headed clubs having progressively sloped-back faces, used for driving or lofting the ball.

6. a branding iron.

7. any of several tools, structural members, etc., of metals other than iron.

8. the blade of a carpenter's plane.

9. Slang. a pistol.

10. a harpoon.

11. Medicine/Medical. a preparation of iron or containing iron, used chiefly in the treatment of anemia, or as a styptic and astringent.

12. irons, shackles or fetters.

    Put him in irons!

13. a sword.

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adjective

1. of, containing, or made of iron.

   an iron skillet.

2. resembling iron in firmness, strength, color, etc..

   an iron will.

3. stern; harsh; cruel.

   the iron reign of a tyrant.

4. inflexible; unrelenting.

   Our club's iron rule is to treat everyone like family.

5. strong; robust; healthy.

   She lived well into her 90's with a sunny disposition and iron constitution.

6. holding or binding strongly.

   The country is in the icy, iron grip of the beast from the east, bitter Siberian winds that have trapped us in winter.

7. irritating or harsh in tone.

   an iron voice.

verb (used with object)

• irons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ironed,
  past participle,  past
• ironing
  present participle

1. to smooth or press with a heated iron, as clothes or linens.

2. to furnish, mount, or arm with iron.

3. to shackle or fetter with irons.

4. Metalworking. to smooth and thin the walls of (an object being deep-drawn).

verb (used without object)

• irons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ironed,
  past participle,  past
• ironing
  present participle

1. to press clothes, linens, etc., with an iron.

verb phrase

1. iron out

   1. to iron or press (an item of clothing or the like).

   2. to remove (wrinkles) from by ironing.

   3. to resolve or clear up (difficulties, disagreements, etc.).

      The problem was ironed out months ago.

idioms

1. irons in the fire, matters with which one is immediately concerned; undertakings; projects.

   He had other irons in the fire, so that one failure would not destroy him.

2. strike while the iron is hot, to act quickly when an opportunity presents itself.

3. pump iron, to lift weights as an exercise or in competition.

4. in irons,

   1. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) unable to maneuver because of the position of the sails with relation to the direction of the wind.

   2. Nautical. (of a towing vessel) unable to maneuver because of tension on the towing line.

   3. Also into irons. in shackles or fetters.

iron British  

/ ˈaɪən /

noun

1. 1. a malleable ductile silvery-white ferromagnetic metallic element occurring principally in haematite and magnetite. It is widely used for structural and engineering purposes. Symbol: Fe; atomic no: 26; atomic wt: 55.847; valency: 2,3,4, or 6; relative density: 7.874; melting pt: 1538°C; boiling pt: 2862°C See also steel cast iron wrought iron pig iron

   2. ( as modifier )

      iron railings

2. any of certain tools or implements made of iron or steel, esp for use when hot

   a grappling iron

   a soldering iron

3. an appliance for pressing fabrics using dry heat or steam, esp a small electrically heated device with a handle and a weighted flat bottom

4. any of various golf clubs with narrow metal heads, numbered from 1 to 9 according to the slant of the face, used esp for approach shots

   a No. 6 iron

5. an informal word for harpoon

6. slang a splintlike support for a malformed leg

7. great hardness, strength, or resolve

   a will of iron

8. astronomy short for iron meteorite

9. See shooting iron

10. to act at an opportune moment

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adjective

1. very hard, immovable, or implacable

   iron determination

2. very strong; extremely robust

   an iron constitution

3. cruel or unyielding

   he ruled with an iron hand

4. a cruel and unyielding attitude or approach See also velvet

verb

1. to smooth (clothes or fabric) by removing (creases or wrinkles) using a heated iron; press

2. (tr) to furnish or clothe with iron

3. rare (tr) to place (a prisoner) in irons

iron Scientific  

/ ī′ərn /

1. A silvery-white, hard metallic element that occurs abundantly in minerals such as hematite, magnetite, pyrite, and ilmenite. It is malleable and ductile, can be magnetized, and rusts readily in moist air. It is used to make steel and other alloys important in construction and manufacturing. Iron is a component of hemoglobin, which allows red blood cells to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide through the body. Atomic number 26; atomic weight 55.845; melting point 1,535°C; boiling point 2,750°C; specific gravity 7.874 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 6.

2. See Periodic Table See Note at element

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iron More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing iron

• pump iron
• strike while the iron's hot

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ironer
  noun
• ironless
  adjective
• ironlike
  adjective
• unironed
  adjective
• well-ironed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• irons
  plural

Participles

• ironing
  present
• ironed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• iron
  simple
• irons
  simple
• have ironed
  perfect
• has ironed
  perfect
• am ironing
  progressive
• are ironing
  progressive
• is ironing
  progressive
• have been ironing
  perfect progressive
• has been ironing
  perfect progressive

Past

• ironed
  simple
• had ironed
  perfect
• was ironing
  progressive
• were ironing
  progressive
• had been ironing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will iron
  simple
• will have ironed
  perfect
• will be ironing
  progressive
• will have been ironing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of iron

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English īren (noun and adjective), perhaps from unattested īsren, metathesized from īsern, variant of īsen; compare Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Norse īsarn, Gothic eisarn, from Germanic īsarnam, perhaps from Celtic; compare Gaulish Ysarno-, Iserno- (in placenames), Old Breton hoiarn, Welsh haearn, Old Irish íarn

Explanation

Iron can refer to a common metal. It can also be that thing you use to get wrinkles out of your clothing. If you’re planning to wear linen, you might need an iron to smooth it out. When you use an iron to iron your clothes, you’re also using both the noun and verb form of iron. The noun describes the appliance and the verb describes the action of using it. Iron can also refer to a golf club, like that 5-iron you always use. If you’ve ever been a cattle rancher, you might also be familiar with a branding iron, a tool used to brand skin with a mark of ownership.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iron irons ironed ironing

Female mosquitoes need the proteins and iron in blood to produce viable eggs, so a blood meal is a vital part of the insect’s reproductive cycle.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Look for wavy lines on straight structures like iron beams.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Harrington, the 2026 US Senior Open champion, drove the ball well but was let down by indifferent iron play and a cool putter.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Sometimes, that stuff takes longer to iron out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Betsie and I stumbled after the others along the aisle and down the iron steps.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

"A lot of my own preferences have gone into the irons that I'm playing."

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

The five-time major winner from Northern Ireland switched to cavity-back irons for last December's Australian Open and two events this year in Dubai but is back to familiar equipment this week.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026

Shepard wrote prolifically and found himself with many white-hot irons in the American fire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

After all, this is a company with multiple irons on the fire — and one that is largely responsible for consumers’ embrace of online shopping.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025

The girls went about the business of survival, collecting rainwater, identifying and gathering edible plant life, catching small fish with their straightening irons.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Balda and Mazin deliver a critical message for audiences of all ages in a succinct, no-rough-edges package with a perfectly ironed bow on top.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

My prerelease build has some kinks that will be ironed out before launch, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

During the Obama administration, it took over 20 months for the finer details of a deal on Iran's nuclear programme to be ironed out.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

Some issues need to be ironed out for those plans to be commercially viable.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

Quincy’s sneakers look brand-new, his shorts are ironed, his nails are all the same exact shape, not jagged like mine.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

First she mocked women with, “What am I, my husband’s servant? Picking up after him all the time, picking his undies off the floor, ironing his clothes? What am I, his servant?”

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

They have complicated relationships, but there’s nothing better for ironing things out than creeping together through dark tunnels by flashlight, hoping that nothing jumps out at you, engaging in weightless banter as you go.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

Although there’s little evidence that Boone ever profited from her invention, it became the prototype of later mass-produced ironing boards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

In this case, I can’t see how ironing out a few wrinkles and covering a rumpled duvet with a digital bedspread materially misrepresents your home.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026

“I don’t see the big deal over ironing sheets,” he said.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• rigid
• steely