ironbound

[ ahy-ern-bound ]

/ ˈaɪ ərnˈbaʊnd /

adjective

bound with iron.

rock-bound; rugged.

hard; rigid; unyielding.

Words nearby ironbound

iron-on, iron-pumper, iron-sick, iron-storage disease, ironbark, ironbound, ironclad, irondequoit, irone, ironer, ironfisted

Origin of ironbound

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at iron, -bound¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ironbound

Ahmad smiled at Daoud and gestured again at the ironbound door.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel|Robert Shea
Cleverness broke upon him like shipping on an ironbound coast.
Certain Personal Matters|H. G. Wells
Beyond it an ironbound coast runs down four hundred miles southeast to Cape Horn.
South America Observations and Impressions|James Bryce
An angry roar went up to Heaven, followed by a hail of blows upon the stout, ironbound oak, and an imperious call to open.
The Trampling of the Lilies|Rafael Sabatini

Three days ago, two shipwrecks took place upon our ironbound coast.
The Wandering Jew, Complete|Eugene Sue

British Dictionary definitions for ironbound

ironbound

/ (ˈaɪənˌbaʊnd) /

adjective

bound with iron

unyielding; inflexible

(of a coast) rocky; rugged

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