scrap iron
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of scrap iron
First recorded in 1815–25
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.
In the 1940s, for example, he sets out to collect scrap iron for the war effort and ends up absconding with a private collection of military memorabilia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Jakarta sent the shipment back as it clamped down on scrap iron and steel imports amid a scandal over alleged radioactive contamination of food products.
From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026
Organisers unveiled the medals which have hexagon-shaped tokens forged out of scrap iron from the monument embedded in them.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2024
The calamity occurred at a bridge construction site in the Mekong delta province where the boy had been searching with friends for scrap iron.
From Reuters ● Jan. 2, 2023
Mom had helped me collect scrap iron to make steel, and even let me donate our cast-iron kettle to the cause.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
