Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

ironworks

American  
[ahy-ern-wurks] / ˈaɪ ərnˌwɜrks /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. an establishment where iron is smelted or where it is cast or wrought.


ironworks British  
/ ˈaɪənˌwɜːks /

noun

  1. (sometimes functioning as singular) a building in which iron is smelted, cast, or wrought

"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

Etymology

Origin of ironworks

1575–85; iron + works (in the sense “manufacturing establishment”)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unemployment and deprivation are the main issues in the post-industrial town once famous for its coal mining and ironworks, says candidate David Hughes.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Investigators determined that the wind-whipped fire was started by welding sparks from work being done by two employees of an ironworks firm working without a permit next door.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Yoshida became interested in manufacturing at an early age, learning how to weld at his grandfather's ironworks and then going on to found a company that produces myoelectric prosthetic hands.

From Reuters • Oct. 2, 2023

A construction team working on a highway expansion in Maryland in 1979 discovered human remains on the grounds of an 18th-century ironworks.

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2023

“Like I said, I wasn’t there. I’ve been up around the ironworks the last couple days,” he nodded to the west.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "ironworks" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com