ironwood

[ ahy-ern-woo d ]

/ ˈaɪ ərnˌwʊd /

noun

any of various trees yielding a hard, heavy wood, as the American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, or Lyonothamnus floribundus, found on the islands off the coast of S California.

the wood of any of these trees.

Nearby words

Origin of ironwood

First recorded in 1650–60; iron + wood¹

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

Examples from the Web for ironwood

Other names for the tree are algaroba, honey locust, honey pod, and ironwood.
American Forest Trees|Henry H. Gibson
Well, it was a very good place, for no one would ever dream that jewels were hidden up there in the ironwood.
Latitude 19 degree|Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield
For its choice it has the pick of American timber, the ironwood of our national forests of humanity.
The Modern Railroad|Edward Hungerford
Some women were pounding paddy (a preparation of rice) for the evening meal in mortars of ironwood.
Indo-China and Its Primitive People|Henry Baudesson

They went down the road to a mossy place where the ironwood trees leaned out over a stream.
Old Ebenezer|Opie Read

British Dictionary definitions for ironwood

ironwood

/ (ˈaɪənˌwʊd) /

noun

any of various betulaceous trees, such as hornbeam, that have very hard wood

a Californian rosaceous tree, Lyonothamnus floribundus, with very hard wood

any of various other trees with hard wood, such as the mopani

the wood of any of these trees

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