noun / adjective
iron
EYE-ern/ˈaɪərn/
A strong gray metal essential in small amounts to the body.
Your body needs small amounts of iron to stay healthy.
Etymology
The Old English word already named both the metal and a weapon or implement made from it. The modern metal sense preserves that old material name; its deeper origin is uncertain.
In context
So iron gets freed from minerals through engineering processes that demand extreme temperatures and chemical reactions. This aggressive approach is what transforms the iron buried in ores into strong metal
More examples
- Iron rusts when exposed to air and moisture.
- A heavy iron gate blocks the entrance.
- She faces every setback with an iron will.
Forms
iron
Similar words
- steel
- An alloy containing iron, usually harder than the pure metal.
- unyielding
- Like figurative iron, describes firmness that resists pressure or persuasion.