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• cast iron
  cast iron

  noun

  an alloy of iron, carbon, and other elements, cast as a soft and strong, or as a hard and brittle, iron, depending on the mixture and methods of molding.
• cast-iron
  cast-iron

  adjective

  made of cast iron.

cast iron

¹ American  

noun

1. an alloy of iron, carbon, and other elements, cast as a soft and strong, or as a hard and brittle, iron, depending on the mixture and methods of molding.

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cast-iron ² American  

[kast-ahy-ern, kahst-] / ˈkæstˈaɪ ərn, ˈkɑst- /

adjective

1. made of cast iron.

2. not subject to change or exception.

   a cast-iron rule.

3. hardy.

   a cast-iron stomach.

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cast iron British  

noun

1. iron containing so much carbon (1.7 to 4.5 per cent) that it cannot be wrought and must be cast into shape

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adjective

1. made of cast iron

2. rigid, strong, or unyielding

   a cast-iron decision

Etymology

Origin of cast iron¹

1655–65; cast (past participle of cast ( def. ) ) + iron

Origin of cast-iron²

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cast iron cast-iron

Laura Cherkas gives Aurora Sanchez a cast iron pan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

Made In’s sets deliver the durability and heat performance of traditional cast iron without the need for seasoning, and they move seamlessly from stovetop to oven to table.

From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2025

He called on Lammy to give his "cast iron assurance" that Kebatu will be deported from the country by the end of the week.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025

Adjoining stores sold cast iron skillets, toys and old-fashioned candies, with rocking chairs out front for waiting customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025

Pressure was put on him by a determined poet whose dreams were brass, cast iron, and rubber.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

The lofty cast-iron dome was virtually finished during the Civil War, over the opposition of those who felt the funds and the workmen should be put to military use.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

This one embraces two of the South’s most cherished cornbread traditions: a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and bacon drippings.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

In the styrofoam boxes of New York’s halal carts and the cast-iron dishware of its trendiest restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

It's been no secret that Buckingham Palace has wanted to see him move out of such a grand setting, but it's also recognised that he has a cast-iron lease, independently held.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025

I smile, knowing this bacon—the only bacon Millie Lockwood allows to touch her precious seasoned cast-iron griddle—involves a forty-seven-minute drive outside the city to a farmer’s market in what Britt-Marie would call “questionable territory.”

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone