pig iron

noun

1. iron tapped from a blast furnace and cast into pigs in preparation for conversion into steel, cast iron, or wrought iron.

2. iron in the chemical state in which it exists when tapped from the blast furnace, without alloying or refinement.

pig iron

noun

1. crude iron produced in a blast furnace and poured into moulds in preparation for making wrought iron, steels, alloys, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of pig iron¹

First recorded in 1655–65