ironwood

[ ahy-ern-wood ]

noun

1. 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.
2. the wood of any of these trees.

ironwood

/ ˈaɪənˌwʊd /

noun

1. any of various betulaceous trees, such as hornbeam, that have very hard wood
2. a Californian rosaceous tree, Lyonothamnus floribundus, with very hard wood
3. any of various other trees with hard wood, such as the mopani
4. the wood of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of ironwood¹

First recorded in 1650–60; iron + wood ¹

Example Sentences

If you don’t mind something a little smaller, then you can save $200 by stepping down to the Ironwood 650.

From Popular-Science

I never left the claim once, and I had a good-sized club of ironwood which I was ready to use on the slightest provocation.

From Project Gutenberg

From a piece of ironwood, cut in the forest with great labour, I made a spade to dig with.

From Project Gutenberg

The Ironwood of India cannot be worked, as its hardness blunts every tool.

From Project Gutenberg

For its choice it has the pick of American timber, the ironwood of our national forests of humanity.

From Project Gutenberg

The heaviest of these is the black ironwood of southern Florida, which is more than thirty per cent.

From Project Gutenberg