Definition of iron in English:

iron

noun ˈʌɪənˈaɪ(ə)rn

1mass noun A strong, hard magnetic silvery-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel.
Iron is widely distributed as ores such as haematite, magnetite, and siderite, and the earth's core is believed to consist largely of metallic iron and nickel. Besides steel, other important forms of the metal are cast iron and wrought iron. Chemically a transition element, iron is a constituent of some biological molecules, notably haemoglobin
Example sentencesExamples
- Iron ore is Austria's most important mineral resource, and metal and metal products, especially iron and steel, lead the manufacturing sector.
- But materials such as iron, or cobalt have an unequal numbers of up and down electron spins and are magnetic.
- A magnet is the device that attracts certain types of metals, like iron or steel.
- Glauconite is close in composition to muscovite but has some iron, magnesium, sodium, and calcium.
- Mordants most commonly used in tissue staining are salts of aluminum, chromium, iron, potassium, and tungsten.
- Their mining, processing, and manufacturing of iron, copper, bronze, lead, gold, and silver objects were on a par with the rest of the Roman world.
- Another important application of tin is tinplating, the process by which a thin coat of tin is laid down over the surface of steel, iron, or some other metal.
- Elements on Earth such as oxygen, calcium, iron and gold came long ago from exploding stars such as this one.
- Calcium, sulphur, magnesium, aluminium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
- This shining metal was not raw iron but hard steel, which bent the softer wrought-iron blades of the Gauls.
- Slaves worked in all the metal crafts - iron, tin, copper, gold, and silver.
- Put your money in iron and steel, chemicals, or timber.
- These are referred to as nuisance contaminants and include calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.
- The resulting alloy is stronger and harder than iron or bronze.
- Analysts also point to production overcapacity in motor vehicles and other raw materials like iron and steel and aluminium.
- It results from the reaction of phosphorus with iron and aluminum in acidic soils, and calcium in alkaline soils.
- Transportation equipment, machinery, cement and other building materials, iron, and steel are major imports of Somalia.
- The magnetic properties of iron, the only metal with which can be magnetized.
- Gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., all have free electrons.
- The use of certain essential materials such as iron, steel, copper, and industrial chemicals was either prohibited or restricted.
Synonyms
made of iron
ferric, ferrous
1. 1.1 Used figuratively as a symbol or type of firmness, strength, or resistance.
  her father had a will of iron
  as modifier the iron grip of the president on every aspect of foreign policy
  Example sentencesExamples
  It is a fiendishly difficult task at a time when nothing seems to shake Labour's iron grip on power in Scotland.
  The magazine finally hit the newsstands again after Soeharto relinquished his iron grip in 1998.
  Meanwhile, the team maintained their iron grip on the trainer and jockey championships.
  If it wasn't for her iron grip all those developing sexual urges during the Eighties, I don't reckon they would be having half as much fun now.
  It was the wrong thing to say, for he grabbed her wrist in his hand, clamping down on it with iron strength in a painful reminder of what he was.
  The iron grip that Williams wielded over his ministers and senior party officials was the envy of other political leaders, who all tried to emulate him.
  Personally she is my favourite, although I also like Hope's inner iron strength, and Faith's inner vulnerability.
  Some suggest his iron grip of the party he personifies may be on the wane.
  But just staging the production is a remarkably brave act in a country where a tiny leadership elite uses its iron grip to promote once-vilified capitalist policies.
  It was the first threat to Mugabe's iron grip on power since independence in 1980.
  Strength of iron flowing in her veins allow her to conquer agony.
  It all depends, I suppose, on whether his whips still have the backbenchers in their iron grip.
  McCoy has been Pipe's stable jockey for the past nine years and the decision to leave could mean the end of the Northern Irish jockey's iron grip on the riders' championship.
  Kohl, hailed by friend and foe for his part in unifying Germany and building a united Europe, was accused of using secret slush funds to keep his iron grip on the party he led for twenty-five years.
  For the first time in 20 years, his iron grip on the company was getting shaky.
  But it also forms part of a two-decade effort to tap the benefits of private business without giving up the party's iron grip on the country's political system.
  So small a phrase, and yet it bore the strength of iron.
  The chancellor's true agenda, of course, is to maintain the Treasury's iron grip on government spending.
  The most interesting question is whether the prime minister's iron grip on his party slipping?
  He has had a Godfather's ruthlessness in his iron grip over the Catholic Church, his refusal to incorporate modern thinking into its teaching.
  Synonyms
  strength, toughness, resilience, fortitude, firmness, robustness, hardiness, steel
  informal guts, grit, grittiness, spunk
  uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, rigid, steadfast, unwavering, unvacillating
  stern, strict
2A tool or implement now or originally made of iron.
a caulking iron
Example sentencesExamples
- Small-scale manufacturers also often relied on local smiths to provide the iron parts they required, be it mill irons or parts for vehicles.
- Gradually the business changed to supplying shoe irons for blacksmiths and began making nails.
Synonyms
tool, implement, utensil, device, apparatus, appliance, contrivance, contraption, mechanism
1. 2.1irons Metal supports for a malformed leg.
2. 2.2irons Fetters or handcuffs.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Her feet were bound by irons, dress ripped ripped, and battered towards one side, while the other side draped down, just above the ankles.
  My military police personnel have never had to use leg cuffs, leg irons or hand irons or belly chains to move detainees.
  Synonyms
  manacles, shackles, fetters, chains, restraints, handcuffs
  informal cuffs, bracelets
  rare trammels
3. 2.3ironsinformal Stirrups.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Melancon is in his 30th year in the irons at age 46.
  With exercise rider in the irons, Evening Attire galloped once around the Belmont training track on Tuesday morning.
  With jockey Yutaka Take in the irons, To the Victory dug in gamely and narrowly outran Rosebud to the wire.
  I ride confidently, with just my toes in the irons, so I suppose it could be said it was my fault.
  On the manager's office's left side was a grand, immense tack room, holding saddles, bridles, leathers, irons, and all assortments of tack to a large magnitude.
  With Todd Kabel in the irons, Bachelor Blues set a pressured pace early, then opened a two-length lead through a half-mile in: 46.26.
  With Randall Meier in the irons, Jaguar Friend earned his first stakes win and second straight victory in three career starts.
  With jockey Rafael Bejarano in the irons, the time off obviously agreed with the multiple graded stakes winner.
  As with many of his 2,000 victories, jockey Josiah Hampshire Jr. was in the irons.
  With jockey Juan Gutierrez in the irons, Curicular made a determined rally down the stretch to put a neck in front of Crowning Quest in the final strides.
  Cupid's Glory, with Seb Sanders in the irons, struck the lead approximately three furlongs out, after racing forwardly through the first half-mile.
  With Jerry Bailey in the irons, 7-to - 10 favorite Defer tracked in third behind early leader Elusive Thunder and Funk.
  But despite his foot coming out of one of his irons, Batchelor kept his cool and his mount dug deep to claim the victory with Lacdoudal.
  With regular rider Frankie Dettori recovering from injuries suffered in an airplane crash, John Velazquez will be in the irons.
  Siphonic drew the rail, and he will have jockey Mike Smith in the irons.
  Earlier in the afternoon, Leyenda Dorada, with John Bisono in the irons, came from just off the pace to win the $87,440 Copa Dama del Caribe.
  With jockey Rex Stokes III in the irons, Spruce Run crossed the finish line in 1: 39.97.
  The regular rider will be in the irons for the start.
  Jerry Bailey will retain his regular mount aboard Orientate, while Pat Day will be in the irons with Day Trader.
  Jockey Frank Amonte has perched expertly in the irons upon countless thoroughbreds since he officially began his race riding career in 1951.
3A handheld implement, typically an electrical one, with a heated flat steel base, used to smooth clothes, sheets, etc.
Example sentencesExamples
- They hired home-economists, mainly women, to teach housewives how to use irons, electric stoves, and other appliances that depended on gas electricity.
- Using an electric iron, the sheets were pressed flat.
- I am on light electrical goods - irons, food mixers, shavers and the like.
- The employees are not allowed to use electrical appliances like cookers, refrigerators and pressing irons for fear of overloading the system.
- When used on already dry hair, a flat iron, explains Romero, locks in moisture, creating smooth and shiny locks while eliminating frizz.
- The children are now left with only an electric iron and a pile of books.
- Working section by section, smooth hair with a flat iron.
- Instead of a heated iron, the upper part of the base supports a pierced basket for charcoal.
- Smaller but still significant numbers of people buy electric irons and kitchen equipment.
- And with an electric iron and electric lights, Mother has something to do to fill in her evenings.
- Scattered around in interlinked systems are kettles, irons, a hot plate, mixers, electric fans, hairdryers and other household appliances.
- Unfortunately, many shops selling computers also sell everything from electric irons to cookers, so you may find staff less than expert when it comes to the finer points of technology.
- In addition to this there is always room for extra shelves in the hot press and wardrobes to keep smaller items such as irons, hairdryers, electric shavers.
- You'll be driving along a lovely country road looking for wild flowers and admiring the scenery and there will be a huge pile of TVs, toasters, irons, computers, washing machines, fridges in a ditch.
- It advertised washing machines, electric irons, and Pyrex casseroles.
- Omnabibi uses an electric iron for her creased clothes.
- Many households in this decade acquired electric stoves, washing machines, irons, radios, and vacuum cleaners.
- Many of the electrical goods we use today such as the electric iron, shaver, vacuum cleaner and washing machine were invented in the early part of the 20th century.
- Back then, a cowpoke would rope a steer, wrestle it to the ground, and a compatriot would use an iron heated over a campfire to burn a mark into the cow's hide.
- For the middle classes, the decline of domestic servants was facilitated by the rise of domestic appliances, such as cookers, electric irons and vacuum cleaners.
Synonyms
flat iron, electric iron, steam iron, smoothing iron
4A golf club with a metal head (typically with a numeral indicating the degree to which the head is angled in order to loft the ball)
in combination a four-iron
Example sentencesExamples
- He may not be improving off the tee, but lately he's been controlling his ball with his irons better than he has all year.
- Goosen then used a two iron to drive the ball under a tree and onto the lower tier of the 18th green.
- Could not drive straight, could not manipulate the ball with irons and had a putter that was so cold it might have dripped with ice.
- Resist the urge to cut it close with a longer iron to move the ball farther down the fairway.
- If you hit your driver too low and slice it, you might be better off driving with a fairway wood or even a middle iron to get the ball in play.
- With your irons, the ball should be a couple of inches inside your left heel, and the shaft should be pointing at your belt buckle.
- Consequently, players of average skill should find it easier to launch the golf ball higher with newer irons.
- He was a great driver of the ball, but with his irons he didn't come down on a steep enough plane, and he hit these sweeping draws.
- Charles hits the ball vast distances with both his driver and his irons.
- The best tip for long irons is to try to sweep the ball off the turf.
- You are better served carrying four or five woods, a putter and the rest irons.
- Having too flat a lie angle on an iron tends to send the ball right, because the clubface points right of the target.
- Using a 9 iron, the ball landed four feet in front of the hole and rolled right in.
- Many amateurs shorten the backswing on short irons, then hit the ball as quickly and as hard as they can.
- From a good lie in short grass, there's plenty of loft on any short iron to get this done.
- When you're going to hit a low tee shot, it's better to tee the ball low and use a driver instead of an iron.
- Still, my thought is of the way Nicklaus seems to caress the golf ball with his irons - the balls stays longer on his clubface.
- Stads turns his shoulders at least 90 degrees on every full swing, irons and woods.
- It teaches you to make proper divots with your irons and results in a powerful, controlled ball flight.
- Practicing with a middle iron, position the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance.
1. 4.1 A shot made with an iron.
  his long irons were majestic
  Example sentencesExamples
  Imagine: three-shot holes; long irons to par - 4s; shots bending in the wind.
  The more prudent play is to keep the second shot to the right and then play a short iron into the green.
  I bombed my tee shot, put a short iron on the green and two-putted for par.
5Astronomy
A meteorite containing a high proportion of iron.
Example sentencesExamples
- There are three basic types of meteorites: stones, stony-irons, and irons.

verb ˈʌɪənˈaɪ(ə)rn

with object Smooth (clothes, sheets, etc.) with an iron.
Example sentencesExamples
- My clothes for tomorrow are actually ironed with the exception of the compulsory jacket-thing that is hung up drying.
- Well, I think a white cotton shirt that is properly ironed and starched looks great.
- She was sitting up so straight that I could actually have ironed a shirt on her back.
- I used to have people who hung up my clothes for me, and washed them and ironed them, and all that sort of stuff.
- His clothes were always ironed and as put together as anything you'd see on a store mannequin.
- We washed the clothes, ironed them, put them back in their suitcases and sent them back off to America as soon as we could.
- The last time Sue saw her son he was getting ready to go out on April 1 and she had ironed his shirt because he was in a rush.
- I went to the room spare and ironed my shirt and my face and suddenly felt on top of the world.
- Then he starched and ironed one half of the shirt, placed flat on his white-cotton clad ironing table.
- Too hung over, he just ironed his suit and tried to make it look nice.
- Send your shirts away to be ironed; send your grass away to be cut.
- As Carlo ironed my best Egyptian cotton sheets we were discussing Sandy's imminent visit.
- I knew by the look of it that Mother had starched and ironed the shirt, and his black pants too.
- Gabriel was suddenly sitting up so straight, I could have ironed a shirt on his back.
- Since it was a black shirt and Coke stains aren't visible, I still wore it, but ironed it again to dry it off.
- Damn, I should have ironed my clothes, there a mess; he must think I'm a slob.
- No longer attend work in clothes that have not been ironed, this is the sign of a slovenly worker, and thus a slovenly intellect.
- Even the man who ironed clothes near Jayashri's home was overawed and showed her new respect.
- In fact, my mother and I also washed and ironed his clothes in case the Minister has forgotten that part of his story.
- His face is scrubbed, his clothes are ironed and his hair is slicked down.
Synonyms
press

Phrases

have many (or other) irons in the fire

Have a range of options or courses of action available, or be involved in many activities or commitments at the same time.
Example sentencesExamples
- I know Dean had other irons in the fire, including an offer from Luton Town.
- Ex-Pike Mark Willoughby came in for Saturday's match and may well feature again and Reid has other irons in the fire.
- Certainly she has hinted she has other irons in the fire if the public tire of her on screen.
- In addition, each member of the production crew has other irons in the fire, like Stanislaus's first short film production, slated for March.
- Andy Marriott was good for us in every sense of the word and he allowed us to make sure Glyn was 100 per cent fit but he had other irons in the fire.
- Scrutinizing its own detailed costs in isolation is one avenue the company has taken to improve its performance, but the managers have other irons in the fire.
- We still have other irons in the fire and should have a strong squad.
- I have other irons in the fire and I need some time away to deal with them, and I think we need some new blood in the chair.

in irons

1Having the feet or hands fettered.
Example sentencesExamples
- He had the British sailors, including one Irishmen, whipped and put them in irons for several days.
- They caught us trying to get back on the ship like nothing had happened, and we wound up in irons.
- Guards waited there with a man in irons, all standing to one side.
- He, therefore, decreed that the stranger be brought before him shackled in irons.
- Ned took off their gunbelts and secured them in irons.
- By the time the pirate crew was clamped in irons and stowed in the forecastle of Indefatigable, the sun was well on its way to the next hemisphere.
- Back talk again, and you will be clamped in irons and thrown in the brig until we get to the next port.
- By now, Williams must know how exactly Joseph K felt; the world has suddenly turned hostile and indifferent and there are many who would like to see the Australian sent back to Botany Bay in irons.
- However the Pandora captain quickly slapped them in irons.
- Four marines emerged on deck with a swarthy looking, squint-eyed pirate, his arms and legs in irons.
Synonyms
tied, tied up, roped, tethered, chained, fettered, shackled, hobbled, secured
2(of a sailing vessel) stalled head to wind and unable to come about or tack either way.
Example sentencesExamples
- But as it has such high windage on the hull alone, that if you try putting her in irons [head to wind], she'll start moving backwards quite fast.

an iron fist (or hand) in a velvet glove

Firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness.
Example sentencesExamples
- The US and Britain have compromised to buy goodwill, retaining the right to strike with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- The fact is that India has realised that the only way to tackle China is with an iron hand in a velvet glove.
- Once upon a time, colonial Britain ruled India with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- Made with throwaway good humour, here was an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- Ressler, who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove, did not miss the opportunity to praise them, while having a dig at current technical director.

Phrasal Verbs

iron something out

Solve or settle difficulties or problems.
they had ironed out their differences
Example sentencesExamples
- This situation is an accident just waiting to happen so let's hope that the fault is ironed out promptly.
- We have got to make sure that people understand the time is urgent and I hope even at this late stage any of the difficulties can be ironed out and dealt with.
- Within four to five weeks most of the problems will be ironed out.
- He said the purpose of staging the pilot postal ballot was to identify potential problems so they could be ironed out.
- That rustiness contributed to some of the home errors, but if they can be ironed out and if the players can gel just that bit more, then the only way is up.
- Yesterday's and this morning's driving has been along some of Europe's poorest, bumpiest roads but they have been ironed out beautifully by that ‘honed’ suspension that features a five-link rear axle.
- Normal service will resume as soon as my technical issues are ironed out.
- However they will be on probation for a number of years while shortfalls in their economies, governance and legal systems are ironed out and brought up to EU standards.
- Engineering and signalling concerns are slowing the process, but the council is confident the problems can be ironed out.
- In a situation like this, ideally you would have had a warm-up game and if there were any small glitches, they could be ironed out.
- He said the factory at Point Lisas was a new venture by the group, and he expected there would be teething problems, but that they would be ironed out sooner rather than later.
- However it looks like the last remaining problems with the pipe will be ironed out soon.
- Once the present problems are ironed out, a policy paper should be brought out on participation of private managements in the educational sector.
- Time is passing, wounds heal, old creases are ironed out as new ones form and things eventually move along and work themselves out.
- If costs are shouldered and technical difficulties have been ironed out by these, ID cards will have a much smaller hill to climb in cabinet.
- There are some technicalities, which have to be resolved, but I am confident that any difficulties will be ironed out because air marshals will be a feature of the international aviation scheme before very long.
- However, the audio problems were ironed out by the time a few tunes had past and the rest of their set went smoothly.
- Most of the niggling faults had been ironed out by this stage.
- But these problems will be ironed out within the next few weeks.
- Although problems will be ironed out over time, early adopters have to accept that they may have to send machines back.
Synonyms
resolve, straighten out, sort out, clear up, settle, put right, set right, set to rights, find a solution to, solve, remedy, heal, cure, rectify
eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of, smooth over

Derivatives

ironer

noun ˈʌɪənəˈaɪ(ə)rnər

Selclene is one of the UK's largest domestic cleaning agencies providing a regular cleaner / ironer for private houses.
Example sentencesExamples
- It also eats into precious free time, for even experienced ironers need about eight minutes to press a shirt.
- What an odd mixture to carry around in my head, torrents of water dumping from the washers, the hiss of steam rising from the presses, and the grinding protest of the rollers on the flat work ironer when Papa started it up.
- There will be a time-saving automatic shirt ironer, a huge plasma screen in a den in the basement, a steam oven and a high-technology music and television system beamed into every room.
- As a result I was a slow, slow ironer, and I got the feeling the boss was looking for a reason to let me go.

iron-like

adjective

Without warning, his hand shot out and he grabbed my wrist with an iron-like grip.
Example sentencesExamples
- Cobalt, nickel and manganese are metals with iron-like properties.
- Actually, his iron-like arms, which were capable of restraining several grown men, probably only had their power further increased by the logging work.
- Who, with an iron-like grip, presided over the single most successful era in Australian test cricket history?
- Pushing her into a room, he refused to release his iron-like grasp.

Origin

Old English īren, īsen, īsern, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijzer and German Eisen, and probably ultimately from Celtic.

The English word iron probably came from Celtic and was related to Latin aes ‘bronze’ and English ore (Old English). There are many different tools and implements described as irons because they are or were originally made of iron, such as branding irons and fire irons. The expression to have many irons in the fire, ‘to have a range of options’, comes from the way such tools are made. Blacksmiths have to heat the iron objects in a fire until they reach the critical temperature at which they can be shaped. If they have several items in the forge at the same time they can remove one and hammer it until it has cooled, then return it to the fire to heat up again and work on another. Another phrase from the work of a blacksmith is to strike while the iron is hot, ‘to make use of an opportunity immediately’.
In a speech made in March 1946, Winston Churchill observed that ‘an iron curtain has descended across the Continent [of Europe]’. People often cite this as the origin of the Iron Curtain, the notional barrier separating the former Soviet bloc and the West before the decline of communism after 1989, but the phrase had been used in reference to the Soviet Union in the 1920s, and had the more general meaning of ‘an impenetrable barrier’ as far back as the early 19th century. Its origins actually lie in the theatre. Today's theatres employ a flame-resistant fire curtain, which in the late 18th century would have been of metal, a genuine iron curtain. In 1948 the term Bamboo Curtain arose to refer to the then-impenetrable barrier between China and non-Communist countries. Margaret Thatcher, then soon to become British prime minister, was given the nickname the Iron Lady in January 1976 by the Soviet newspaper Red Star. The paper accused her of trying to revive the Cold War. Irony (early 16th century) has no connection with iron. It came from Greek eirōneia ‘pretended ignorance’. See also velvet

Rhymes

Brian, cyan, Gaian, Geminian, Hawaiian, ion, Ixion, lion, Lyon, Mayan, Narayan, O'Brien, Orion, Paraguayan, prion, Ryan, scion, Uruguayan, Zion

Definition of iron in US English:

iron

nounˈaɪ(ə)rnˈī(ə)rn

1A strong, hard magnetic silvery-gray metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel.
Iron is widely distributed as ores such as hematite, magnetite, and siderite, and the earth's core is believed to consist largely of metallic iron and nickel. Besides steel, other important forms of the metal are cast iron and wrought iron. Chemically a transition element, iron is a constituent of some biological molecules, notably hemoglobin
Example sentencesExamples
- Elements on Earth such as oxygen, calcium, iron and gold came long ago from exploding stars such as this one.
- Another important application of tin is tinplating, the process by which a thin coat of tin is laid down over the surface of steel, iron, or some other metal.
- Put your money in iron and steel, chemicals, or timber.
- It results from the reaction of phosphorus with iron and aluminum in acidic soils, and calcium in alkaline soils.
- Gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., all have free electrons.
- This shining metal was not raw iron but hard steel, which bent the softer wrought-iron blades of the Gauls.
- Slaves worked in all the metal crafts - iron, tin, copper, gold, and silver.
- Their mining, processing, and manufacturing of iron, copper, bronze, lead, gold, and silver objects were on a par with the rest of the Roman world.
- A magnet is the device that attracts certain types of metals, like iron or steel.
- Analysts also point to production overcapacity in motor vehicles and other raw materials like iron and steel and aluminium.
- These are referred to as nuisance contaminants and include calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.
- Calcium, sulphur, magnesium, aluminium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
- Mordants most commonly used in tissue staining are salts of aluminum, chromium, iron, potassium, and tungsten.
- Glauconite is close in composition to muscovite but has some iron, magnesium, sodium, and calcium.
- The use of certain essential materials such as iron, steel, copper, and industrial chemicals was either prohibited or restricted.
- But materials such as iron, or cobalt have an unequal numbers of up and down electron spins and are magnetic.
- Iron ore is Austria's most important mineral resource, and metal and metal products, especially iron and steel, lead the manufacturing sector.
- The magnetic properties of iron, the only metal with which can be magnetized.
- The resulting alloy is stronger and harder than iron or bronze.
- Transportation equipment, machinery, cement and other building materials, iron, and steel are major imports of Somalia.
Synonyms
made of iron
1. 1.1 Compounds of iron, especially as a component of the diet.
  serve liver as it's a good source of iron
  as modifier how are your iron levels?
  Example sentencesExamples
  However, before you supplement with iron you should ask your physician to test your blood levels of iron, says Kretsch.
  Without question, the first step to reducing your risk of iron deficiency anemia is to take in highly available forms of iron in your diet.
  Because it's difficult to get enough iron from diet alone, iron supplementation is recommended.
  They suggest that recovering patients reduce iron in their diet.
  Soya beans is said to be a major source of iron content in human diet.
  Watching fat grams often means cutting red meat or dark chicken, both iron sources, from one's diet.
  They hypothesise that low levels of iron can actually increase the absorption of other metals into the bloodstream.
  Liver, however, is a good source of iron in the diet although iron is also found in red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals.
  A well-balanced diet including good iron sources is the best start.
  The amount of iron in the diet of veal calves is carefully controlled to produce the pale meat product demanded by the marketplace.
  Men, on the other hand, are at a risk of having too much iron in their diet because they do not regularly lose blood, as women do in their menstrual cycle.
  To make the situation worse, spinach contains phytate, a compound that prevents iron from entering the bloodstream.
  Foods that say ‘enriched’ or ‘iron-fortified’ on the label are a good source of iron.
  The purpose of the clearing bath is to remove iron compounds.
  Snetselaar chose to focus on teenagers, she said, because many teens have low levels of iron in their diets.
  Carrots may have lost 46 per cent of their iron but they are not a good source of iron in the diet anyway.
  Poor nutrition decreases levels of iron and vitamin B, leading to anemia.
  The best sources of iron are beef and other meats.
  People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, new research suggests.
  This is done on serum as anticlotting compounds bind serum iron.
2. 1.2 Used figuratively as a symbol or type of firmness, strength, or resistance.
  her father had a will of iron
  as modifier the iron grip of the president on every aspect of foreign policy
  Example sentencesExamples
  If it wasn't for her iron grip all those developing sexual urges during the Eighties, I don't reckon they would be having half as much fun now.
  For the first time in 20 years, his iron grip on the company was getting shaky.
  So small a phrase, and yet it bore the strength of iron.
  Kohl, hailed by friend and foe for his part in unifying Germany and building a united Europe, was accused of using secret slush funds to keep his iron grip on the party he led for twenty-five years.
  McCoy has been Pipe's stable jockey for the past nine years and the decision to leave could mean the end of the Northern Irish jockey's iron grip on the riders' championship.
  It was the wrong thing to say, for he grabbed her wrist in his hand, clamping down on it with iron strength in a painful reminder of what he was.
  He has had a Godfather's ruthlessness in his iron grip over the Catholic Church, his refusal to incorporate modern thinking into its teaching.
  The most interesting question is whether the prime minister's iron grip on his party slipping?
  It all depends, I suppose, on whether his whips still have the backbenchers in their iron grip.
  Strength of iron flowing in her veins allow her to conquer agony.
  The magazine finally hit the newsstands again after Soeharto relinquished his iron grip in 1998.
  But it also forms part of a two-decade effort to tap the benefits of private business without giving up the party's iron grip on the country's political system.
  It was the first threat to Mugabe's iron grip on power since independence in 1980.
  But just staging the production is a remarkably brave act in a country where a tiny leadership elite uses its iron grip to promote once-vilified capitalist policies.
  The chancellor's true agenda, of course, is to maintain the Treasury's iron grip on government spending.
  Meanwhile, the team maintained their iron grip on the trainer and jockey championships.
  The iron grip that Williams wielded over his ministers and senior party officials was the envy of other political leaders, who all tried to emulate him.
  It is a fiendishly difficult task at a time when nothing seems to shake Labour's iron grip on power in Scotland.
  Some suggest his iron grip of the party he personifies may be on the wane.
  Personally she is my favourite, although I also like Hope's inner iron strength, and Faith's inner vulnerability.
  Synonyms
  strength, toughness, resilience, fortitude, firmness, robustness, hardiness, steel
  uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, rigid, steadfast, unwavering, unvacillating
2A tool or implement now or originally made of iron.
a caulking iron
Example sentencesExamples
- Small-scale manufacturers also often relied on local smiths to provide the iron parts they required, be it mill irons or parts for vehicles.
- Gradually the business changed to supplying shoe irons for blacksmiths and began making nails.
Synonyms
tool, implement, utensil, device, apparatus, appliance, contrivance, contraption, mechanism
1. 2.1irons Fetters or handcuffs.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Her feet were bound by irons, dress ripped ripped, and battered towards one side, while the other side draped down, just above the ankles.
  My military police personnel have never had to use leg cuffs, leg irons or hand irons or belly chains to move detainees.
  Synonyms
  manacles, shackles, fetters, chains, restraints, handcuffs
2. 2.2US informal A handgun.
3A handheld implement with a flat steel base that is heated (typically with electricity) to smooth clothes, sheets, etc.
Example sentencesExamples
- It advertised washing machines, electric irons, and Pyrex casseroles.
- The children are now left with only an electric iron and a pile of books.
- I am on light electrical goods - irons, food mixers, shavers and the like.
- Scattered around in interlinked systems are kettles, irons, a hot plate, mixers, electric fans, hairdryers and other household appliances.
- They hired home-economists, mainly women, to teach housewives how to use irons, electric stoves, and other appliances that depended on gas electricity.
- When used on already dry hair, a flat iron, explains Romero, locks in moisture, creating smooth and shiny locks while eliminating frizz.
- Back then, a cowpoke would rope a steer, wrestle it to the ground, and a compatriot would use an iron heated over a campfire to burn a mark into the cow's hide.
- Instead of a heated iron, the upper part of the base supports a pierced basket for charcoal.
- You'll be driving along a lovely country road looking for wild flowers and admiring the scenery and there will be a huge pile of TVs, toasters, irons, computers, washing machines, fridges in a ditch.
- And with an electric iron and electric lights, Mother has something to do to fill in her evenings.
- The employees are not allowed to use electrical appliances like cookers, refrigerators and pressing irons for fear of overloading the system.
- Many of the electrical goods we use today such as the electric iron, shaver, vacuum cleaner and washing machine were invented in the early part of the 20th century.
- Unfortunately, many shops selling computers also sell everything from electric irons to cookers, so you may find staff less than expert when it comes to the finer points of technology.
- For the middle classes, the decline of domestic servants was facilitated by the rise of domestic appliances, such as cookers, electric irons and vacuum cleaners.
- Using an electric iron, the sheets were pressed flat.
- In addition to this there is always room for extra shelves in the hot press and wardrobes to keep smaller items such as irons, hairdryers, electric shavers.
- Smaller but still significant numbers of people buy electric irons and kitchen equipment.
- Working section by section, smooth hair with a flat iron.
- Omnabibi uses an electric iron for her creased clothes.
- Many households in this decade acquired electric stoves, washing machines, irons, radios, and vacuum cleaners.
Synonyms
flat iron, electric iron, steam iron, smoothing iron
4A golf club with a metal head (typically with a numeral indicating the degree to which the head is angled in order to loft the ball).
Example sentencesExamples
- You are better served carrying four or five woods, a putter and the rest irons.
- Using a 9 iron, the ball landed four feet in front of the hole and rolled right in.
- Could not drive straight, could not manipulate the ball with irons and had a putter that was so cold it might have dripped with ice.
- From a good lie in short grass, there's plenty of loft on any short iron to get this done.
- The best tip for long irons is to try to sweep the ball off the turf.
- Resist the urge to cut it close with a longer iron to move the ball farther down the fairway.
- Stads turns his shoulders at least 90 degrees on every full swing, irons and woods.
- When you're going to hit a low tee shot, it's better to tee the ball low and use a driver instead of an iron.
- If you hit your driver too low and slice it, you might be better off driving with a fairway wood or even a middle iron to get the ball in play.
- Consequently, players of average skill should find it easier to launch the golf ball higher with newer irons.
- He may not be improving off the tee, but lately he's been controlling his ball with his irons better than he has all year.
- Many amateurs shorten the backswing on short irons, then hit the ball as quickly and as hard as they can.
- With your irons, the ball should be a couple of inches inside your left heel, and the shaft should be pointing at your belt buckle.
- It teaches you to make proper divots with your irons and results in a powerful, controlled ball flight.
- Goosen then used a two iron to drive the ball under a tree and onto the lower tier of the 18th green.
- Practicing with a middle iron, position the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance.
- Having too flat a lie angle on an iron tends to send the ball right, because the clubface points right of the target.
- He was a great driver of the ball, but with his irons he didn't come down on a steep enough plane, and he hit these sweeping draws.
- Still, my thought is of the way Nicklaus seems to caress the golf ball with his irons - the balls stays longer on his clubface.
- Charles hits the ball vast distances with both his driver and his irons.
5Astronomy
A meteorite containing a high proportion of iron.
Example sentencesExamples
- There are three basic types of meteorites: stones, stony-irons, and irons.

verbˈaɪ(ə)rnˈī(ə)rn

[with object]

Smooth (clothes, sheets, etc.) with an iron.
Example sentencesExamples
- Then he starched and ironed one half of the shirt, placed flat on his white-cotton clad ironing table.
- Since it was a black shirt and Coke stains aren't visible, I still wore it, but ironed it again to dry it off.
- She was sitting up so straight that I could actually have ironed a shirt on her back.
- Even the man who ironed clothes near Jayashri's home was overawed and showed her new respect.
- Send your shirts away to be ironed; send your grass away to be cut.
- In fact, my mother and I also washed and ironed his clothes in case the Minister has forgotten that part of his story.
- Gabriel was suddenly sitting up so straight, I could have ironed a shirt on his back.
- We washed the clothes, ironed them, put them back in their suitcases and sent them back off to America as soon as we could.
- I knew by the look of it that Mother had starched and ironed the shirt, and his black pants too.
- Well, I think a white cotton shirt that is properly ironed and starched looks great.
- Too hung over, he just ironed his suit and tried to make it look nice.
- As Carlo ironed my best Egyptian cotton sheets we were discussing Sandy's imminent visit.
- His face is scrubbed, his clothes are ironed and his hair is slicked down.
- His clothes were always ironed and as put together as anything you'd see on a store mannequin.
- Damn, I should have ironed my clothes, there a mess; he must think I'm a slob.
- The last time Sue saw her son he was getting ready to go out on April 1 and she had ironed his shirt because he was in a rush.
- No longer attend work in clothes that have not been ironed, this is the sign of a slovenly worker, and thus a slovenly intellect.
- I went to the room spare and ironed my shirt and my face and suddenly felt on top of the world.
- My clothes for tomorrow are actually ironed with the exception of the compulsory jacket-thing that is hung up drying.
- I used to have people who hung up my clothes for me, and washed them and ironed them, and all that sort of stuff.
Synonyms
press

Phrases

have many (or other) irons in the fire

Have many (or a range of) options or courses of action available or be involved in many activities or commitments at the same time.
Example sentencesExamples
- Andy Marriott was good for us in every sense of the word and he allowed us to make sure Glyn was 100 per cent fit but he had other irons in the fire.
- We still have other irons in the fire and should have a strong squad.
- In addition, each member of the production crew has other irons in the fire, like Stanislaus's first short film production, slated for March.
- I know Dean had other irons in the fire, including an offer from Luton Town.
- Certainly she has hinted she has other irons in the fire if the public tire of her on screen.
- Ex-Pike Mark Willoughby came in for Saturday's match and may well feature again and Reid has other irons in the fire.
- I have other irons in the fire and I need some time away to deal with them, and I think we need some new blood in the chair.
- Scrutinizing its own detailed costs in isolation is one avenue the company has taken to improve its performance, but the managers have other irons in the fire.

in irons

1Having the feet or hands fettered.
Example sentencesExamples
- He, therefore, decreed that the stranger be brought before him shackled in irons.
- Four marines emerged on deck with a swarthy looking, squint-eyed pirate, his arms and legs in irons.
- By now, Williams must know how exactly Joseph K felt; the world has suddenly turned hostile and indifferent and there are many who would like to see the Australian sent back to Botany Bay in irons.
- By the time the pirate crew was clamped in irons and stowed in the forecastle of Indefatigable, the sun was well on its way to the next hemisphere.
- However the Pandora captain quickly slapped them in irons.
- They caught us trying to get back on the ship like nothing had happened, and we wound up in irons.
- Ned took off their gunbelts and secured them in irons.
- Guards waited there with a man in irons, all standing to one side.
- He had the British sailors, including one Irishmen, whipped and put them in irons for several days.
- Back talk again, and you will be clamped in irons and thrown in the brig until we get to the next port.
Synonyms
tied, tied up, roped, tethered, chained, fettered, shackled, hobbled, secured
2(of a sailing vessel) stalled head to wind and unable to come about or tack either way.
Example sentencesExamples
- But as it has such high windage on the hull alone, that if you try putting her in irons [head to wind], she'll start moving backwards quite fast.

an iron fist (or hand) in a velvet glove

Firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness.
Example sentencesExamples
- The US and Britain have compromised to buy goodwill, retaining the right to strike with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- Made with throwaway good humour, here was an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- Once upon a time, colonial Britain ruled India with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
- Ressler, who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove, did not miss the opportunity to praise them, while having a dig at current technical director.
- The fact is that India has realised that the only way to tackle China is with an iron hand in a velvet glove.

Phrasal Verbs

iron something out

Solve or settle difficulties or problems.
they had ironed out their differences
Example sentencesExamples
- Most of the niggling faults had been ironed out by this stage.
- He said the purpose of staging the pilot postal ballot was to identify potential problems so they could be ironed out.
- Engineering and signalling concerns are slowing the process, but the council is confident the problems can be ironed out.
- Once the present problems are ironed out, a policy paper should be brought out on participation of private managements in the educational sector.
- But these problems will be ironed out within the next few weeks.
- Normal service will resume as soon as my technical issues are ironed out.
- Although problems will be ironed out over time, early adopters have to accept that they may have to send machines back.
- Yesterday's and this morning's driving has been along some of Europe's poorest, bumpiest roads but they have been ironed out beautifully by that ‘honed’ suspension that features a five-link rear axle.
- However it looks like the last remaining problems with the pipe will be ironed out soon.
- However, the audio problems were ironed out by the time a few tunes had past and the rest of their set went smoothly.
- However they will be on probation for a number of years while shortfalls in their economies, governance and legal systems are ironed out and brought up to EU standards.
- This situation is an accident just waiting to happen so let's hope that the fault is ironed out promptly.
- He said the factory at Point Lisas was a new venture by the group, and he expected there would be teething problems, but that they would be ironed out sooner rather than later.
- If costs are shouldered and technical difficulties have been ironed out by these, ID cards will have a much smaller hill to climb in cabinet.
- That rustiness contributed to some of the home errors, but if they can be ironed out and if the players can gel just that bit more, then the only way is up.
- In a situation like this, ideally you would have had a warm-up game and if there were any small glitches, they could be ironed out.
- Time is passing, wounds heal, old creases are ironed out as new ones form and things eventually move along and work themselves out.
- There are some technicalities, which have to be resolved, but I am confident that any difficulties will be ironed out because air marshals will be a feature of the international aviation scheme before very long.
- Within four to five weeks most of the problems will be ironed out.
- We have got to make sure that people understand the time is urgent and I hope even at this late stage any of the difficulties can be ironed out and dealt with.
Synonyms
resolve, straighten out, sort out, clear up, settle, put right, set right, set to rights, find a solution to, solve, remedy, heal, cure, rectify
eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of, smooth over

Origin

Old English īren, īsen, īsern, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijzer and German Eisen, and probably ultimately from Celtic.

单词	iron
释义	Definition of iron in English: iron noun ˈʌɪənˈaɪ(ə)rn 1mass noun A strong, hard magnetic silvery-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel. Iron is widely distributed as ores such as haematite, magnetite, and siderite, and the earth's core is believed to consist largely of metallic iron and nickel. Besides steel, other important forms of the metal are cast iron and wrought iron. Chemically a transition element, iron is a constituent of some biological molecules, notably haemoglobin Example sentencesExamples Iron ore is Austria's most important mineral resource, and metal and metal products, especially iron and steel, lead the manufacturing sector. But materials such as iron, or cobalt have an unequal numbers of up and down electron spins and are magnetic. A magnet is the device that attracts certain types of metals, like iron or steel. Glauconite is close in composition to muscovite but has some iron, magnesium, sodium, and calcium. Mordants most commonly used in tissue staining are salts of aluminum, chromium, iron, potassium, and tungsten. Their mining, processing, and manufacturing of iron, copper, bronze, lead, gold, and silver objects were on a par with the rest of the Roman world. Another important application of tin is tinplating, the process by which a thin coat of tin is laid down over the surface of steel, iron, or some other metal. Elements on Earth such as oxygen, calcium, iron and gold came long ago from exploding stars such as this one. Calcium, sulphur, magnesium, aluminium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. This shining metal was not raw iron but hard steel, which bent the softer wrought-iron blades of the Gauls. Slaves worked in all the metal crafts - iron, tin, copper, gold, and silver. Put your money in iron and steel, chemicals, or timber. These are referred to as nuisance contaminants and include calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide. The resulting alloy is stronger and harder than iron or bronze. Analysts also point to production overcapacity in motor vehicles and other raw materials like iron and steel and aluminium. It results from the reaction of phosphorus with iron and aluminum in acidic soils, and calcium in alkaline soils. Transportation equipment, machinery, cement and other building materials, iron, and steel are major imports of Somalia. The magnetic properties of iron, the only metal with which can be magnetized. Gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., all have free electrons. The use of certain essential materials such as iron, steel, copper, and industrial chemicals was either prohibited or restricted. Synonyms made of iron ferric, ferrous 1.1 Used figuratively as a symbol or type of firmness, strength, or resistance. her father had a will of iron as modifier the iron grip of the president on every aspect of foreign policy Example sentencesExamples It is a fiendishly difficult task at a time when nothing seems to shake Labour's iron grip on power in Scotland. The magazine finally hit the newsstands again after Soeharto relinquished his iron grip in 1998. Meanwhile, the team maintained their iron grip on the trainer and jockey championships. If it wasn't for her iron grip all those developing sexual urges during the Eighties, I don't reckon they would be having half as much fun now. It was the wrong thing to say, for he grabbed her wrist in his hand, clamping down on it with iron strength in a painful reminder of what he was. The iron grip that Williams wielded over his ministers and senior party officials was the envy of other political leaders, who all tried to emulate him. Personally she is my favourite, although I also like Hope's inner iron strength, and Faith's inner vulnerability. Some suggest his iron grip of the party he personifies may be on the wane. But just staging the production is a remarkably brave act in a country where a tiny leadership elite uses its iron grip to promote once-vilified capitalist policies. It was the first threat to Mugabe's iron grip on power since independence in 1980. Strength of iron flowing in her veins allow her to conquer agony. It all depends, I suppose, on whether his whips still have the backbenchers in their iron grip. McCoy has been Pipe's stable jockey for the past nine years and the decision to leave could mean the end of the Northern Irish jockey's iron grip on the riders' championship. Kohl, hailed by friend and foe for his part in unifying Germany and building a united Europe, was accused of using secret slush funds to keep his iron grip on the party he led for twenty-five years. For the first time in 20 years, his iron grip on the company was getting shaky. But it also forms part of a two-decade effort to tap the benefits of private business without giving up the party's iron grip on the country's political system. So small a phrase, and yet it bore the strength of iron. The chancellor's true agenda, of course, is to maintain the Treasury's iron grip on government spending. The most interesting question is whether the prime minister's iron grip on his party slipping? He has had a Godfather's ruthlessness in his iron grip over the Catholic Church, his refusal to incorporate modern thinking into its teaching. Synonyms strength, toughness, resilience, fortitude, firmness, robustness, hardiness, steel informal guts, grit, grittiness, spunk uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, rigid, steadfast, unwavering, unvacillating stern, strict 2A tool or implement now or originally made of iron. a caulking iron Example sentencesExamples Small-scale manufacturers also often relied on local smiths to provide the iron parts they required, be it mill irons or parts for vehicles. Gradually the business changed to supplying shoe irons for blacksmiths and began making nails. Synonyms tool, implement, utensil, device, apparatus, appliance, contrivance, contraption, mechanism 2.1irons Metal supports for a malformed leg. 2.2irons Fetters or handcuffs. Example sentencesExamples Her feet were bound by irons, dress ripped ripped, and battered towards one side, while the other side draped down, just above the ankles. My military police personnel have never had to use leg cuffs, leg irons or hand irons or belly chains to move detainees. Synonyms manacles, shackles, fetters, chains, restraints, handcuffs informal cuffs, bracelets rare trammels 2.3ironsinformal Stirrups. Example sentencesExamples Melancon is in his 30th year in the irons at age 46. With exercise rider in the irons, Evening Attire galloped once around the Belmont training track on Tuesday morning. With jockey Yutaka Take in the irons, To the Victory dug in gamely and narrowly outran Rosebud to the wire. I ride confidently, with just my toes in the irons, so I suppose it could be said it was my fault. On the manager's office's left side was a grand, immense tack room, holding saddles, bridles, leathers, irons, and all assortments of tack to a large magnitude. With Todd Kabel in the irons, Bachelor Blues set a pressured pace early, then opened a two-length lead through a half-mile in: 46.26. With Randall Meier in the irons, Jaguar Friend earned his first stakes win and second straight victory in three career starts. With jockey Rafael Bejarano in the irons, the time off obviously agreed with the multiple graded stakes winner. As with many of his 2,000 victories, jockey Josiah Hampshire Jr. was in the irons. With jockey Juan Gutierrez in the irons, Curicular made a determined rally down the stretch to put a neck in front of Crowning Quest in the final strides. Cupid's Glory, with Seb Sanders in the irons, struck the lead approximately three furlongs out, after racing forwardly through the first half-mile. With Jerry Bailey in the irons, 7-to - 10 favorite Defer tracked in third behind early leader Elusive Thunder and Funk. But despite his foot coming out of one of his irons, Batchelor kept his cool and his mount dug deep to claim the victory with Lacdoudal. With regular rider Frankie Dettori recovering from injuries suffered in an airplane crash, John Velazquez will be in the irons. Siphonic drew the rail, and he will have jockey Mike Smith in the irons. Earlier in the afternoon, Leyenda Dorada, with John Bisono in the irons, came from just off the pace to win the $87,440 Copa Dama del Caribe. With jockey Rex Stokes III in the irons, Spruce Run crossed the finish line in 1: 39.97. The regular rider will be in the irons for the start. Jerry Bailey will retain his regular mount aboard Orientate, while Pat Day will be in the irons with Day Trader. Jockey Frank Amonte has perched expertly in the irons upon countless thoroughbreds since he officially began his race riding career in 1951. 3A handheld implement, typically an electrical one, with a heated flat steel base, used to smooth clothes, sheets, etc. Example sentencesExamples They hired home-economists, mainly women, to teach housewives how to use irons, electric stoves, and other appliances that depended on gas electricity. Using an electric iron, the sheets were pressed flat. I am on light electrical goods - irons, food mixers, shavers and the like. The employees are not allowed to use electrical appliances like cookers, refrigerators and pressing irons for fear of overloading the system. When used on already dry hair, a flat iron, explains Romero, locks in moisture, creating smooth and shiny locks while eliminating frizz. The children are now left with only an electric iron and a pile of books. Working section by section, smooth hair with a flat iron. Instead of a heated iron, the upper part of the base supports a pierced basket for charcoal. Smaller but still significant numbers of people buy electric irons and kitchen equipment. And with an electric iron and electric lights, Mother has something to do to fill in her evenings. Scattered around in interlinked systems are kettles, irons, a hot plate, mixers, electric fans, hairdryers and other household appliances. Unfortunately, many shops selling computers also sell everything from electric irons to cookers, so you may find staff less than expert when it comes to the finer points of technology. In addition to this there is always room for extra shelves in the hot press and wardrobes to keep smaller items such as irons, hairdryers, electric shavers. You'll be driving along a lovely country road looking for wild flowers and admiring the scenery and there will be a huge pile of TVs, toasters, irons, computers, washing machines, fridges in a ditch. It advertised washing machines, electric irons, and Pyrex casseroles. Omnabibi uses an electric iron for her creased clothes. Many households in this decade acquired electric stoves, washing machines, irons, radios, and vacuum cleaners. Many of the electrical goods we use today such as the electric iron, shaver, vacuum cleaner and washing machine were invented in the early part of the 20th century. Back then, a cowpoke would rope a steer, wrestle it to the ground, and a compatriot would use an iron heated over a campfire to burn a mark into the cow's hide. For the middle classes, the decline of domestic servants was facilitated by the rise of domestic appliances, such as cookers, electric irons and vacuum cleaners. Synonyms flat iron, electric iron, steam iron, smoothing iron 4A golf club with a metal head (typically with a numeral indicating the degree to which the head is angled in order to loft the ball) in combination a four-iron Example sentencesExamples He may not be improving off the tee, but lately he's been controlling his ball with his irons better than he has all year. Goosen then used a two iron to drive the ball under a tree and onto the lower tier of the 18th green. Could not drive straight, could not manipulate the ball with irons and had a putter that was so cold it might have dripped with ice. Resist the urge to cut it close with a longer iron to move the ball farther down the fairway. If you hit your driver too low and slice it, you might be better off driving with a fairway wood or even a middle iron to get the ball in play. With your irons, the ball should be a couple of inches inside your left heel, and the shaft should be pointing at your belt buckle. Consequently, players of average skill should find it easier to launch the golf ball higher with newer irons. He was a great driver of the ball, but with his irons he didn't come down on a steep enough plane, and he hit these sweeping draws. Charles hits the ball vast distances with both his driver and his irons. The best tip for long irons is to try to sweep the ball off the turf. You are better served carrying four or five woods, a putter and the rest irons. Having too flat a lie angle on an iron tends to send the ball right, because the clubface points right of the target. Using a 9 iron, the ball landed four feet in front of the hole and rolled right in. Many amateurs shorten the backswing on short irons, then hit the ball as quickly and as hard as they can. From a good lie in short grass, there's plenty of loft on any short iron to get this done. When you're going to hit a low tee shot, it's better to tee the ball low and use a driver instead of an iron. Still, my thought is of the way Nicklaus seems to caress the golf ball with his irons - the balls stays longer on his clubface. Stads turns his shoulders at least 90 degrees on every full swing, irons and woods. It teaches you to make proper divots with your irons and results in a powerful, controlled ball flight. Practicing with a middle iron, position the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance. 4.1 A shot made with an iron. his long irons were majestic Example sentencesExamples Imagine: three-shot holes; long irons to par - 4s; shots bending in the wind. The more prudent play is to keep the second shot to the right and then play a short iron into the green. I bombed my tee shot, put a short iron on the green and two-putted for par. 5Astronomy A meteorite containing a high proportion of iron. Example sentencesExamples There are three basic types of meteorites: stones, stony-irons, and irons. verb ˈʌɪənˈaɪ(ə)rn with object Smooth (clothes, sheets, etc.) with an iron. Example sentencesExamples My clothes for tomorrow are actually ironed with the exception of the compulsory jacket-thing that is hung up drying. Well, I think a white cotton shirt that is properly ironed and starched looks great. She was sitting up so straight that I could actually have ironed a shirt on her back. I used to have people who hung up my clothes for me, and washed them and ironed them, and all that sort of stuff. His clothes were always ironed and as put together as anything you'd see on a store mannequin. We washed the clothes, ironed them, put them back in their suitcases and sent them back off to America as soon as we could. The last time Sue saw her son he was getting ready to go out on April 1 and she had ironed his shirt because he was in a rush. I went to the room spare and ironed my shirt and my face and suddenly felt on top of the world. Then he starched and ironed one half of the shirt, placed flat on his white-cotton clad ironing table. Too hung over, he just ironed his suit and tried to make it look nice. Send your shirts away to be ironed; send your grass away to be cut. As Carlo ironed my best Egyptian cotton sheets we were discussing Sandy's imminent visit. I knew by the look of it that Mother had starched and ironed the shirt, and his black pants too. Gabriel was suddenly sitting up so straight, I could have ironed a shirt on his back. Since it was a black shirt and Coke stains aren't visible, I still wore it, but ironed it again to dry it off. Damn, I should have ironed my clothes, there a mess; he must think I'm a slob. No longer attend work in clothes that have not been ironed, this is the sign of a slovenly worker, and thus a slovenly intellect. Even the man who ironed clothes near Jayashri's home was overawed and showed her new respect. In fact, my mother and I also washed and ironed his clothes in case the Minister has forgotten that part of his story. His face is scrubbed, his clothes are ironed and his hair is slicked down. Synonyms press Phrases have many (or other) irons in the fire Have a range of options or courses of action available, or be involved in many activities or commitments at the same time. Example sentencesExamples I know Dean had other irons in the fire, including an offer from Luton Town. Ex-Pike Mark Willoughby came in for Saturday's match and may well feature again and Reid has other irons in the fire. Certainly she has hinted she has other irons in the fire if the public tire of her on screen. In addition, each member of the production crew has other irons in the fire, like Stanislaus's first short film production, slated for March. Andy Marriott was good for us in every sense of the word and he allowed us to make sure Glyn was 100 per cent fit but he had other irons in the fire. Scrutinizing its own detailed costs in isolation is one avenue the company has taken to improve its performance, but the managers have other irons in the fire. We still have other irons in the fire and should have a strong squad. I have other irons in the fire and I need some time away to deal with them, and I think we need some new blood in the chair. in irons 1Having the feet or hands fettered. Example sentencesExamples He had the British sailors, including one Irishmen, whipped and put them in irons for several days. They caught us trying to get back on the ship like nothing had happened, and we wound up in irons. Guards waited there with a man in irons, all standing to one side. He, therefore, decreed that the stranger be brought before him shackled in irons. Ned took off their gunbelts and secured them in irons. By the time the pirate crew was clamped in irons and stowed in the forecastle of Indefatigable, the sun was well on its way to the next hemisphere. Back talk again, and you will be clamped in irons and thrown in the brig until we get to the next port. By now, Williams must know how exactly Joseph K felt; the world has suddenly turned hostile and indifferent and there are many who would like to see the Australian sent back to Botany Bay in irons. However the Pandora captain quickly slapped them in irons. Four marines emerged on deck with a swarthy looking, squint-eyed pirate, his arms and legs in irons. Synonyms tied, tied up, roped, tethered, chained, fettered, shackled, hobbled, secured 2(of a sailing vessel) stalled head to wind and unable to come about or tack either way. Example sentencesExamples But as it has such high windage on the hull alone, that if you try putting her in irons [head to wind], she'll start moving backwards quite fast. an iron fist (or hand) in a velvet glove Firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness. Example sentencesExamples The US and Britain have compromised to buy goodwill, retaining the right to strike with an iron fist in a velvet glove. The fact is that India has realised that the only way to tackle China is with an iron hand in a velvet glove. Once upon a time, colonial Britain ruled India with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Made with throwaway good humour, here was an iron fist in a velvet glove. Ressler, who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove, did not miss the opportunity to praise them, while having a dig at current technical director. Phrasal Verbs iron something out Solve or settle difficulties or problems. they had ironed out their differences Example sentencesExamples This situation is an accident just waiting to happen so let's hope that the fault is ironed out promptly. We have got to make sure that people understand the time is urgent and I hope even at this late stage any of the difficulties can be ironed out and dealt with. Within four to five weeks most of the problems will be ironed out. He said the purpose of staging the pilot postal ballot was to identify potential problems so they could be ironed out. That rustiness contributed to some of the home errors, but if they can be ironed out and if the players can gel just that bit more, then the only way is up. Yesterday's and this morning's driving has been along some of Europe's poorest, bumpiest roads but they have been ironed out beautifully by that ‘honed’ suspension that features a five-link rear axle. Normal service will resume as soon as my technical issues are ironed out. However they will be on probation for a number of years while shortfalls in their economies, governance and legal systems are ironed out and brought up to EU standards. Engineering and signalling concerns are slowing the process, but the council is confident the problems can be ironed out. In a situation like this, ideally you would have had a warm-up game and if there were any small glitches, they could be ironed out. He said the factory at Point Lisas was a new venture by the group, and he expected there would be teething problems, but that they would be ironed out sooner rather than later. However it looks like the last remaining problems with the pipe will be ironed out soon. Once the present problems are ironed out, a policy paper should be brought out on participation of private managements in the educational sector. Time is passing, wounds heal, old creases are ironed out as new ones form and things eventually move along and work themselves out. If costs are shouldered and technical difficulties have been ironed out by these, ID cards will have a much smaller hill to climb in cabinet. There are some technicalities, which have to be resolved, but I am confident that any difficulties will be ironed out because air marshals will be a feature of the international aviation scheme before very long. However, the audio problems were ironed out by the time a few tunes had past and the rest of their set went smoothly. Most of the niggling faults had been ironed out by this stage. But these problems will be ironed out within the next few weeks. Although problems will be ironed out over time, early adopters have to accept that they may have to send machines back. Synonyms resolve, straighten out, sort out, clear up, settle, put right, set right, set to rights, find a solution to, solve, remedy, heal, cure, rectify eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of, smooth over Derivatives ironer noun ˈʌɪənəˈaɪ(ə)rnər Selclene is one of the UK's largest domestic cleaning agencies providing a regular cleaner / ironer for private houses. Example sentencesExamples It also eats into precious free time, for even experienced ironers need about eight minutes to press a shirt. What an odd mixture to carry around in my head, torrents of water dumping from the washers, the hiss of steam rising from the presses, and the grinding protest of the rollers on the flat work ironer when Papa started it up. There will be a time-saving automatic shirt ironer, a huge plasma screen in a den in the basement, a steam oven and a high-technology music and television system beamed into every room. As a result I was a slow, slow ironer, and I got the feeling the boss was looking for a reason to let me go. iron-like adjective Without warning, his hand shot out and he grabbed my wrist with an iron-like grip. Example sentencesExamples Cobalt, nickel and manganese are metals with iron-like properties. Actually, his iron-like arms, which were capable of restraining several grown men, probably only had their power further increased by the logging work. Who, with an iron-like grip, presided over the single most successful era in Australian test cricket history? Pushing her into a room, he refused to release his iron-like grasp. Origin Old English īren, īsen, īsern, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijzer and German Eisen, and probably ultimately from Celtic. The English word iron probably came from Celtic and was related to Latin aes ‘bronze’ and English ore (Old English). There are many different tools and implements described as irons because they are or were originally made of iron, such as branding irons and fire irons. The expression to have many irons in the fire, ‘to have a range of options’, comes from the way such tools are made. Blacksmiths have to heat the iron objects in a fire until they reach the critical temperature at which they can be shaped. If they have several items in the forge at the same time they can remove one and hammer it until it has cooled, then return it to the fire to heat up again and work on another. Another phrase from the work of a blacksmith is to strike while the iron is hot, ‘to make use of an opportunity immediately’. In a speech made in March 1946, Winston Churchill observed that ‘an iron curtain has descended across the Continent [of Europe]’. People often cite this as the origin of the Iron Curtain, the notional barrier separating the former Soviet bloc and the West before the decline of communism after 1989, but the phrase had been used in reference to the Soviet Union in the 1920s, and had the more general meaning of ‘an impenetrable barrier’ as far back as the early 19th century. Its origins actually lie in the theatre. Today's theatres employ a flame-resistant fire curtain, which in the late 18th century would have been of metal, a genuine iron curtain. In 1948 the term Bamboo Curtain arose to refer to the then-impenetrable barrier between China and non-Communist countries. Margaret Thatcher, then soon to become British prime minister, was given the nickname the Iron Lady in January 1976 by the Soviet newspaper Red Star. The paper accused her of trying to revive the Cold War. Irony (early 16th century) has no connection with iron. It came from Greek eirōneia ‘pretended ignorance’. See also velvet Rhymes Brian, cyan, Gaian, Geminian, Hawaiian, ion, Ixion, lion, Lyon, Mayan, Narayan, O'Brien, Orion, Paraguayan, prion, Ryan, scion, Uruguayan, Zion noun.1 phr. phr.v. Definition of iron in US English: iron nounˈaɪ(ə)rnˈī(ə)rn 1A strong, hard magnetic silvery-gray metal, the chemical element of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing, especially in the form of steel. Iron is widely distributed as ores such as hematite, magnetite, and siderite, and the earth's core is believed to consist largely of metallic iron and nickel. Besides steel, other important forms of the metal are cast iron and wrought iron. Chemically a transition element, iron is a constituent of some biological molecules, notably hemoglobin Example sentencesExamples Elements on Earth such as oxygen, calcium, iron and gold came long ago from exploding stars such as this one. Another important application of tin is tinplating, the process by which a thin coat of tin is laid down over the surface of steel, iron, or some other metal. Put your money in iron and steel, chemicals, or timber. It results from the reaction of phosphorus with iron and aluminum in acidic soils, and calcium in alkaline soils. Gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., all have free electrons. This shining metal was not raw iron but hard steel, which bent the softer wrought-iron blades of the Gauls. Slaves worked in all the metal crafts - iron, tin, copper, gold, and silver. Their mining, processing, and manufacturing of iron, copper, bronze, lead, gold, and silver objects were on a par with the rest of the Roman world. A magnet is the device that attracts certain types of metals, like iron or steel. Analysts also point to production overcapacity in motor vehicles and other raw materials like iron and steel and aluminium. These are referred to as nuisance contaminants and include calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide. Calcium, sulphur, magnesium, aluminium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mordants most commonly used in tissue staining are salts of aluminum, chromium, iron, potassium, and tungsten. Glauconite is close in composition to muscovite but has some iron, magnesium, sodium, and calcium. The use of certain essential materials such as iron, steel, copper, and industrial chemicals was either prohibited or restricted. But materials such as iron, or cobalt have an unequal numbers of up and down electron spins and are magnetic. Iron ore is Austria's most important mineral resource, and metal and metal products, especially iron and steel, lead the manufacturing sector. The magnetic properties of iron, the only metal with which can be magnetized. The resulting alloy is stronger and harder than iron or bronze. Transportation equipment, machinery, cement and other building materials, iron, and steel are major imports of Somalia. Synonyms made of iron 1.1 Compounds of iron, especially as a component of the diet. serve liver as it's a good source of iron as modifier how are your iron levels? Example sentencesExamples However, before you supplement with iron you should ask your physician to test your blood levels of iron, says Kretsch. Without question, the first step to reducing your risk of iron deficiency anemia is to take in highly available forms of iron in your diet. Because it's difficult to get enough iron from diet alone, iron supplementation is recommended. They suggest that recovering patients reduce iron in their diet. Soya beans is said to be a major source of iron content in human diet. Watching fat grams often means cutting red meat or dark chicken, both iron sources, from one's diet. They hypothesise that low levels of iron can actually increase the absorption of other metals into the bloodstream. Liver, however, is a good source of iron in the diet although iron is also found in red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. A well-balanced diet including good iron sources is the best start. The amount of iron in the diet of veal calves is carefully controlled to produce the pale meat product demanded by the marketplace. Men, on the other hand, are at a risk of having too much iron in their diet because they do not regularly lose blood, as women do in their menstrual cycle. To make the situation worse, spinach contains phytate, a compound that prevents iron from entering the bloodstream. Foods that say ‘enriched’ or ‘iron-fortified’ on the label are a good source of iron. The purpose of the clearing bath is to remove iron compounds. Snetselaar chose to focus on teenagers, she said, because many teens have low levels of iron in their diets. Carrots may have lost 46 per cent of their iron but they are not a good source of iron in the diet anyway. Poor nutrition decreases levels of iron and vitamin B, leading to anemia. The best sources of iron are beef and other meats. People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, new research suggests. This is done on serum as anticlotting compounds bind serum iron. 1.2 Used figuratively as a symbol or type of firmness, strength, or resistance. her father had a will of iron as modifier the iron grip of the president on every aspect of foreign policy Example sentencesExamples If it wasn't for her iron grip all those developing sexual urges during the Eighties, I don't reckon they would be having half as much fun now. For the first time in 20 years, his iron grip on the company was getting shaky. So small a phrase, and yet it bore the strength of iron. Kohl, hailed by friend and foe for his part in unifying Germany and building a united Europe, was accused of using secret slush funds to keep his iron grip on the party he led for twenty-five years. McCoy has been Pipe's stable jockey for the past nine years and the decision to leave could mean the end of the Northern Irish jockey's iron grip on the riders' championship. It was the wrong thing to say, for he grabbed her wrist in his hand, clamping down on it with iron strength in a painful reminder of what he was. He has had a Godfather's ruthlessness in his iron grip over the Catholic Church, his refusal to incorporate modern thinking into its teaching. The most interesting question is whether the prime minister's iron grip on his party slipping? It all depends, I suppose, on whether his whips still have the backbenchers in their iron grip. Strength of iron flowing in her veins allow her to conquer agony. The magazine finally hit the newsstands again after Soeharto relinquished his iron grip in 1998. But it also forms part of a two-decade effort to tap the benefits of private business without giving up the party's iron grip on the country's political system. It was the first threat to Mugabe's iron grip on power since independence in 1980. But just staging the production is a remarkably brave act in a country where a tiny leadership elite uses its iron grip to promote once-vilified capitalist policies. The chancellor's true agenda, of course, is to maintain the Treasury's iron grip on government spending. Meanwhile, the team maintained their iron grip on the trainer and jockey championships. The iron grip that Williams wielded over his ministers and senior party officials was the envy of other political leaders, who all tried to emulate him. It is a fiendishly difficult task at a time when nothing seems to shake Labour's iron grip on power in Scotland. Some suggest his iron grip of the party he personifies may be on the wane. Personally she is my favourite, although I also like Hope's inner iron strength, and Faith's inner vulnerability. Synonyms strength, toughness, resilience, fortitude, firmness, robustness, hardiness, steel uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, rigid, steadfast, unwavering, unvacillating 2A tool or implement now or originally made of iron. a caulking iron Example sentencesExamples Small-scale manufacturers also often relied on local smiths to provide the iron parts they required, be it mill irons or parts for vehicles. Gradually the business changed to supplying shoe irons for blacksmiths and began making nails. Synonyms tool, implement, utensil, device, apparatus, appliance, contrivance, contraption, mechanism 2.1irons Fetters or handcuffs. Example sentencesExamples Her feet were bound by irons, dress ripped ripped, and battered towards one side, while the other side draped down, just above the ankles. My military police personnel have never had to use leg cuffs, leg irons or hand irons or belly chains to move detainees. Synonyms manacles, shackles, fetters, chains, restraints, handcuffs 2.2US informal A handgun. 3A handheld implement with a flat steel base that is heated (typically with electricity) to smooth clothes, sheets, etc. Example sentencesExamples It advertised washing machines, electric irons, and Pyrex casseroles. The children are now left with only an electric iron and a pile of books. I am on light electrical goods - irons, food mixers, shavers and the like. Scattered around in interlinked systems are kettles, irons, a hot plate, mixers, electric fans, hairdryers and other household appliances. They hired home-economists, mainly women, to teach housewives how to use irons, electric stoves, and other appliances that depended on gas electricity. When used on already dry hair, a flat iron, explains Romero, locks in moisture, creating smooth and shiny locks while eliminating frizz. Back then, a cowpoke would rope a steer, wrestle it to the ground, and a compatriot would use an iron heated over a campfire to burn a mark into the cow's hide. Instead of a heated iron, the upper part of the base supports a pierced basket for charcoal. You'll be driving along a lovely country road looking for wild flowers and admiring the scenery and there will be a huge pile of TVs, toasters, irons, computers, washing machines, fridges in a ditch. And with an electric iron and electric lights, Mother has something to do to fill in her evenings. The employees are not allowed to use electrical appliances like cookers, refrigerators and pressing irons for fear of overloading the system. Many of the electrical goods we use today such as the electric iron, shaver, vacuum cleaner and washing machine were invented in the early part of the 20th century. Unfortunately, many shops selling computers also sell everything from electric irons to cookers, so you may find staff less than expert when it comes to the finer points of technology. For the middle classes, the decline of domestic servants was facilitated by the rise of domestic appliances, such as cookers, electric irons and vacuum cleaners. Using an electric iron, the sheets were pressed flat. In addition to this there is always room for extra shelves in the hot press and wardrobes to keep smaller items such as irons, hairdryers, electric shavers. Smaller but still significant numbers of people buy electric irons and kitchen equipment. Working section by section, smooth hair with a flat iron. Omnabibi uses an electric iron for her creased clothes. Many households in this decade acquired electric stoves, washing machines, irons, radios, and vacuum cleaners. Synonyms flat iron, electric iron, steam iron, smoothing iron 4A golf club with a metal head (typically with a numeral indicating the degree to which the head is angled in order to loft the ball). Example sentencesExamples You are better served carrying four or five woods, a putter and the rest irons. Using a 9 iron, the ball landed four feet in front of the hole and rolled right in. Could not drive straight, could not manipulate the ball with irons and had a putter that was so cold it might have dripped with ice. From a good lie in short grass, there's plenty of loft on any short iron to get this done. The best tip for long irons is to try to sweep the ball off the turf. Resist the urge to cut it close with a longer iron to move the ball farther down the fairway. Stads turns his shoulders at least 90 degrees on every full swing, irons and woods. When you're going to hit a low tee shot, it's better to tee the ball low and use a driver instead of an iron. If you hit your driver too low and slice it, you might be better off driving with a fairway wood or even a middle iron to get the ball in play. Consequently, players of average skill should find it easier to launch the golf ball higher with newer irons. He may not be improving off the tee, but lately he's been controlling his ball with his irons better than he has all year. Many amateurs shorten the backswing on short irons, then hit the ball as quickly and as hard as they can. With your irons, the ball should be a couple of inches inside your left heel, and the shaft should be pointing at your belt buckle. It teaches you to make proper divots with your irons and results in a powerful, controlled ball flight. Goosen then used a two iron to drive the ball under a tree and onto the lower tier of the 18th green. Practicing with a middle iron, position the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance. Having too flat a lie angle on an iron tends to send the ball right, because the clubface points right of the target. He was a great driver of the ball, but with his irons he didn't come down on a steep enough plane, and he hit these sweeping draws. Still, my thought is of the way Nicklaus seems to caress the golf ball with his irons - the balls stays longer on his clubface. Charles hits the ball vast distances with both his driver and his irons. 5Astronomy A meteorite containing a high proportion of iron. Example sentencesExamples There are three basic types of meteorites: stones, stony-irons, and irons. verbˈaɪ(ə)rnˈī(ə)rn [with object] Smooth (clothes, sheets, etc.) with an iron. Example sentencesExamples Then he starched and ironed one half of the shirt, placed flat on his white-cotton clad ironing table. Since it was a black shirt and Coke stains aren't visible, I still wore it, but ironed it again to dry it off. She was sitting up so straight that I could actually have ironed a shirt on her back. Even the man who ironed clothes near Jayashri's home was overawed and showed her new respect. Send your shirts away to be ironed; send your grass away to be cut. In fact, my mother and I also washed and ironed his clothes in case the Minister has forgotten that part of his story. Gabriel was suddenly sitting up so straight, I could have ironed a shirt on his back. We washed the clothes, ironed them, put them back in their suitcases and sent them back off to America as soon as we could. I knew by the look of it that Mother had starched and ironed the shirt, and his black pants too. Well, I think a white cotton shirt that is properly ironed and starched looks great. Too hung over, he just ironed his suit and tried to make it look nice. As Carlo ironed my best Egyptian cotton sheets we were discussing Sandy's imminent visit. His face is scrubbed, his clothes are ironed and his hair is slicked down. His clothes were always ironed and as put together as anything you'd see on a store mannequin. Damn, I should have ironed my clothes, there a mess; he must think I'm a slob. The last time Sue saw her son he was getting ready to go out on April 1 and she had ironed his shirt because he was in a rush. No longer attend work in clothes that have not been ironed, this is the sign of a slovenly worker, and thus a slovenly intellect. I went to the room spare and ironed my shirt and my face and suddenly felt on top of the world. My clothes for tomorrow are actually ironed with the exception of the compulsory jacket-thing that is hung up drying. I used to have people who hung up my clothes for me, and washed them and ironed them, and all that sort of stuff. Synonyms press Phrases have many (or other) irons in the fire Have many (or a range of) options or courses of action available or be involved in many activities or commitments at the same time. Example sentencesExamples Andy Marriott was good for us in every sense of the word and he allowed us to make sure Glyn was 100 per cent fit but he had other irons in the fire. We still have other irons in the fire and should have a strong squad. In addition, each member of the production crew has other irons in the fire, like Stanislaus's first short film production, slated for March. I know Dean had other irons in the fire, including an offer from Luton Town. Certainly she has hinted she has other irons in the fire if the public tire of her on screen. Ex-Pike Mark Willoughby came in for Saturday's match and may well feature again and Reid has other irons in the fire. I have other irons in the fire and I need some time away to deal with them, and I think we need some new blood in the chair. Scrutinizing its own detailed costs in isolation is one avenue the company has taken to improve its performance, but the managers have other irons in the fire. in irons 1Having the feet or hands fettered. Example sentencesExamples He, therefore, decreed that the stranger be brought before him shackled in irons. Four marines emerged on deck with a swarthy looking, squint-eyed pirate, his arms and legs in irons. By now, Williams must know how exactly Joseph K felt; the world has suddenly turned hostile and indifferent and there are many who would like to see the Australian sent back to Botany Bay in irons. By the time the pirate crew was clamped in irons and stowed in the forecastle of Indefatigable, the sun was well on its way to the next hemisphere. However the Pandora captain quickly slapped them in irons. They caught us trying to get back on the ship like nothing had happened, and we wound up in irons. Ned took off their gunbelts and secured them in irons. Guards waited there with a man in irons, all standing to one side. He had the British sailors, including one Irishmen, whipped and put them in irons for several days. Back talk again, and you will be clamped in irons and thrown in the brig until we get to the next port. Synonyms tied, tied up, roped, tethered, chained, fettered, shackled, hobbled, secured 2(of a sailing vessel) stalled head to wind and unable to come about or tack either way. Example sentencesExamples But as it has such high windage on the hull alone, that if you try putting her in irons [head to wind], she'll start moving backwards quite fast. an iron fist (or hand) in a velvet glove Firmness or ruthlessness cloaked in outward gentleness. Example sentencesExamples The US and Britain have compromised to buy goodwill, retaining the right to strike with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Made with throwaway good humour, here was an iron fist in a velvet glove. Once upon a time, colonial Britain ruled India with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Ressler, who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove, did not miss the opportunity to praise them, while having a dig at current technical director. The fact is that India has realised that the only way to tackle China is with an iron hand in a velvet glove. Phrasal Verbs iron something out Solve or settle difficulties or problems. they had ironed out their differences Example sentencesExamples Most of the niggling faults had been ironed out by this stage. He said the purpose of staging the pilot postal ballot was to identify potential problems so they could be ironed out. Engineering and signalling concerns are slowing the process, but the council is confident the problems can be ironed out. Once the present problems are ironed out, a policy paper should be brought out on participation of private managements in the educational sector. But these problems will be ironed out within the next few weeks. Normal service will resume as soon as my technical issues are ironed out. Although problems will be ironed out over time, early adopters have to accept that they may have to send machines back. Yesterday's and this morning's driving has been along some of Europe's poorest, bumpiest roads but they have been ironed out beautifully by that ‘honed’ suspension that features a five-link rear axle. However it looks like the last remaining problems with the pipe will be ironed out soon. However, the audio problems were ironed out by the time a few tunes had past and the rest of their set went smoothly. However they will be on probation for a number of years while shortfalls in their economies, governance and legal systems are ironed out and brought up to EU standards. This situation is an accident just waiting to happen so let's hope that the fault is ironed out promptly. He said the factory at Point Lisas was a new venture by the group, and he expected there would be teething problems, but that they would be ironed out sooner rather than later. If costs are shouldered and technical difficulties have been ironed out by these, ID cards will have a much smaller hill to climb in cabinet. That rustiness contributed to some of the home errors, but if they can be ironed out and if the players can gel just that bit more, then the only way is up. In a situation like this, ideally you would have had a warm-up game and if there were any small glitches, they could be ironed out. Time is passing, wounds heal, old creases are ironed out as new ones form and things eventually move along and work themselves out. There are some technicalities, which have to be resolved, but I am confident that any difficulties will be ironed out because air marshals will be a feature of the international aviation scheme before very long. Within four to five weeks most of the problems will be ironed out. We have got to make sure that people understand the time is urgent and I hope even at this late stage any of the difficulties can be ironed out and dealt with. Synonyms resolve, straighten out, sort out, clear up, settle, put right, set right, set to rights, find a solution to, solve, remedy, heal, cure, rectify eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of, smooth over Origin Old English īren, īsen, īsern, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijzer and German Eisen, and probably ultimately from Celtic. noun.1 phr. phr.v.
随便看	overworkings overwork oneself overworks overworld overworn overwound overwrap overwrapped overwrapping overwraps overwrite overwriting overwriting overwriting overwritten overwrote overwrought overwroughtness overyear over-year over-yeared overzeal over-zealed overzealous overzealously