Iron

(ī'urn), n. [A-S. īren, ēsen, īsern, O. Sax. īsarn, O. H. Ger. īsarn, īsan, īsen, M. H. Ger. īsen, N. H. Ger. eisen, D. ijzen, Goth. eisarn, Icel. jarn, Sw. & Dan. jern, Ir. iaran, iarran, iarun, W. ha-iarn, Armor. houarn.]

1. One of the metallic elements, having the chemical equivalent 28, and density of about 7.8. It is monometric in crystallization, and of a white color when pure. It is hard, and very malleable when hot, welding easily at a high temperature, and oxidizes under moisture. It is very widely diffused, and the most useful of all the metals. It is strongly attracted by the loadstone or a magnet.
2. An instrument or utensil made of iron;—chiefly in composition; as, a flat-iron; a smoothing-iron.

My young soldier, put up your iron. Shak.

3. (pl.) Fetters; chains; manacles; handcuffs.
4. Strength; power; as, to rule with a rod of iron.

Bog iron. See LIMONITE.—Cast iron, or pig iron, a compound of carbon and iron, obtained as a direct product from the act of smelting iron ore in the blast furnace. It is harder than pure iron, is more or less brittle, is fusible, and granular-crystalline in structure, and in different varieties has a white or grayish color. Its fusibility is mainly due to the carbon it contains.—Magnetic iron, or magnetite, an oxide of iron containing three parts of iron to four of oxygen, and one of the most common of its ores, having generally an octahedral crystallization. This ore is attractable by the magnet, and some specimens have magnetic polarity, and are called loadstone.—Specular iron. See HEMATITE.—Wrought iron, the purest form of iron known in the arts. It is soft, very tenacious, and at a high temperature may be welded. It possesses great malleability and ductility. When beaten into bars, it is known as bar iron or merchant-bars. It has a bluish-gray color, and always contains some carbon.

(ī'urn), a. 1. Made of iron; as, an iron gate; an iron bar; iron dust.

2. Resembling iron in color; as, iron blackness.
3. Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, &c.; as, (a.) Rude; hard; harsh; severe; as, the iron age of the world. “Iron years of wars and dangers.” Rowe.

Jove crushed the nations with an iron rod. Pope. (b.) Firm; robust; enduring; as, an iron constitution. (c.) Inflexible; not to be bent; as, an iron will. (d.) Not to be broken; holding fast. Him death’s iron sleep oppressed. Rowe. (e.) Not to be penetrated; dull of understanding; stupid. “Iron-witted fools.” Shak. Iron is often used in composition, denoting that which is covered with or made of iron, or resembling it in some of its properties or characteristics, and the like; as, iron-fisted, iron-framed, iron-handed, iron-hearted, iron-sheathed, iron-shod. Iron clay (Min.), a yellowish clay containing a large proportion of an ore of iron. Dana. — Iron crown, a golden crown set with jewels, belonging originally to the Lombard kings, and indicating the dominion of Italy. It was so called from containing a circle said to have been forged from one of the nails in the cross of Christ. — Iron flint (Min.), an opaque ferruginous variety of quartz, having, in some degree, the appearance of flint, but of red or yellow color, and usually somewhat granular in its texture. Dana. — Iron glance (Min.), the peroxide of iron, of a dark steel-gray color; hematite. Dana. — Iron liquor, acetate of iron, used as a mordant by dyers. — Iron pyrites (Min.), common pyrites; yellow sulphuret of iron. — Iron sand, an iron ore in grains, usually the magnetic-iron ore, often used to sand paper after writing.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. IRONED (I'urn'd); p. pr. & vb. n. IRONING.]

1. To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth with a heated flat-iron, as cloth, and the like.
2. To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

“Ironed like a malefactor.” W. Scott. 3. To furnish or arm with iron; as, to iron a wagon.