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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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of iron man

First recorded in 1610–20


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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Guard Quentin Grimes has been a preseason iron man.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

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

Rizzs, who is in his 38th season calling Mariners games, is regarded as an iron man.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 18, 2023

Ryan Kerrigan, the Washington Commanders’ all-time sack leader whose dedicated workouts led to an impressive iron man streak, announced his retirement Friday after playing 11 seasons in the NFL.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 29, 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

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