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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

It is also the world's oldest five-arch cast iron bridge.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

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

“I started off with just changing out all my cookware to cast iron, changing out my workout clothes, because all of the polyester stuff has PFAS,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2025

Tracing my fingers along the ornate cast iron legs, I could picture Heck and Holler Carlson, Pearl Ann Larkin, even Hattie Mae Harper.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

In an era of public offerings and rich acquisitions, the Lodge family has kept a tight grip on the handle of its cast-iron business since 1896.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 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

As a child of the suburbs, one of my earliest queso memories involved a cast-iron skillet at Chili’s.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025

Maybe, someday, a cast-iron gate at the end of the driveway.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah