ironbound

[ ahy-ern-bound ]

/ ˈaɪ ərnˈbaʊnd /

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adjective

bound with iron.

rock-bound; rugged.

hard; rigid; unyielding.

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Origin of ironbound

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

Words nearby ironbound

iroko, iron, Iron Age, ironbark, iron blue, ironbound, iron brick, Iron Chancellor, ironclad, Iron Cross, iron curtain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ironbound in a sentence

A word dropped that I was returning there would bring me, by ironbound custom, an invitation to travel in their company.
The Door Through Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
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
There, in front of the ironbound box, knelt Pomponio, busily at work on the stout padlock that guarded the treasures within.
Old Mission Stories of California|Charles Franklin Carter

On the far side of the house I found him pressed close against the old ironbound oak door of the chapel.
Dracula|Bram Stoker

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