iron

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   extremely robust

   an iron constitution

2. 2
   noun

   A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel: a chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.

   Today we studied about metals — including iron — at school.

3. 3
   noun

   A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.

   It's many niggas now totin' iron.

4. 4
   noun

   A golf club used for middle-distance shots.

   The brassey much resembled the driver, but the iron opened out quite a new field of practice; […]

5. 5
   noun

   Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.

   ironman; a will of iron

6. 6
   noun

   Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.

   He lifts iron on the weekends.

7. 7
   noun

   A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.

   Irons and stony irons can be much larger than stony meteorites and are much more visually striking, but make up only a few percent of all meteorites.

8. 8
   adj

   Strong (as of will), inflexible.

   She had an iron will.

Etymology

From Middle English iren, from Old English īsern, īsærn, īren, īsen, from Proto-West Germanic *īsarn, from Proto-Germanic *īsarną (“iron”), from Proto-Celtic *īsarnom (“iron”), possibly a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots airn, ern (“iron”), Yola eeren (“iron”), Saterland Frisian Iersen (“iron”), West Frisian izer (“iron”), Bavarian Eisn (“iron”), Cimbrian aizarn (“iron”), Dutch ijzer (“iron”), German, Luxembourgish Eisen (“iron”), German Low German Isen (“iron”), Limburgish iezer (“iron”), Mòcheno aisn (“iron”), Vilamovian ȧjza (“iron”), West…