| Iron Age |
the stage or level of development of human culture that followed the Bronze Age and that was characterized by the use of iron tools and weapons, beginning about 1000 B.C. |
| ironbound |
as though bound with iron; stern or rigid. [2 definitions] |
| ironclad |
as though covered in iron armor; unbreakable and inflexible. [3 definitions] |
| iron curtain |
(sometimes cap.) the barrier to free communication and exchange of information which was attributed by Western nations to the secrecy and censorship of the Soviet Union after World War II. |
| iron hand |
harsh or tight control, as by a despot. |
| ironic |
being, showing, pertaining to, or marked by irony. [2 definitions] |
| ironically |
in an ironic manner. [2 definitions] |
| ironing |
the act or activity of pressing clothes with a hot iron. [2 definitions] |
| ironing board |
a long, narrow, padded board, usu. with one tapered end and a collapsible stand, on which laundry is ironed. |
| iron lung |
a large metal chamber in which the body can be enclosed up to the neck, that maintains artificial respiration by means of alternating pulses of high and low pressure, used esp. for polio victims. |
| iron maiden |
a medieval instrument of torture consisting of a coffinlike case in which a victim was impaled on spikes. |
| ironmonger |
(chiefly British) a merchant who sells household tools, equipment, and other hardware. |
| ironmonger's |
(chiefly British) a shop where household tools, equipment, and other hardware items are sold; hardware store. |
| iron out |
to clear up or smooth out (difficulties, conflicts, or the like). |
| iron pyrites |
pyrite; fool's gold. |
| irons in the fire |
projects or undertakings. |
| ironstone |
any of several iron ores containing impurities of silica and clay. [2 definitions] |
| ironware |
pots, utensils, and other small articles made of iron. |
| ironweed |
any of a group of plants with a hard stem and clusters of small, purplish flowers. |
| ironwood |
any of various trees, such as the hornbeam, that have very hard, heavy wood. [2 definitions] |
| ironwork |
articles or constructions decorated with or made wholly or partly of iron, as stair railings or garden furniture. |