iron man

American  

noun

1. a person, as a worker or athlete, of great physical endurance who can be depended upon to perform a given task or job tirelessly.

2. a machine that performs a job formerly done by hand; robot.

3. Slang. a dollar bill or a silver dollar.

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iron man British  

noun

1. an event at a surf carnival in which contestants compete at swimming, surfing, running, etc

2. a competitor at such an event

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Etymology

Origin of iron man

First recorded in 1610–20

Compare meaning

How does iron-man compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ironmonger vs. iron man

Example Sentences

However, this would-be iron man recently suffered a set-back when he was arrested in the central African nation of Chad.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2024

An iron man, he played 10,363 consecutive snaps, a streak believed to be a league record, before being forced off the field with a torn triceps midway through Cleveland’s 0-16 season in 2017.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 2, 2023

The iron man started the first 141 games of the 2022 season before taking his first day off on Sept. 14.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2023

Jarvis had held the iron man crown for almost 35 years before last season.

From Washington Times • Oct. 26, 2022

And high above me now the bridge seemed to move off to where I could not see, striding like a robot, an iron man, whose iron legs clanged doomfully as it moved.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison