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

The decks are made from ironwood, a fire-resistant lumber.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2023

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

She made a series of perfect cuts down the side of the tree, and then chopped sideways and split from the tree ten perfect wedges of the hard ironwood.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich