ironwood

American  

[ahy-ern-wood] / ˈaɪ ərnˌwʊd /

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.

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ironwood British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of ironwood

First recorded in 1650–60; iron + wood ¹

Example Sentences

There, Ray and his team used a drought-tolerant blend of grasses for limited lawn areas, while the rest of the property was arrayed with native and desert-adapted plants, including ironwood trees and statuesque saguaros.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

Among them: red maple, red oak, basswood and ironwood.

From Scientific American • May 5, 2023

The walk around the foundation’s grounds will include information about planting, pruning, watering, pests and diseases of sycamore, Torrey pine, palo verde, Catalina ironwood and other native trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022

In that fragile period, it likely would have been sheltered by a “nurse tree ” — typically a paloverde, ironwood or mesquite — that protected it from animals and harsh weather.

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2022

The water in the skins was two months stale, and besides, he’d gotten used to the labor—which involved an ironwood mallet and pounding stakes deep into the sand.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor