How do you use the word "iron" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "iron": The Golden Gate Bridge is made of iron. Gold is heavier than iron.

Iron Meaning

/ˈaɪ.ən/

Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

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

nounAny material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.

Sentence Examples

The Golden Gate Bridge is made of iron.

Gold is heavier than iron.

The iron is fitted with a three-pin plug.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

press robust

Antonyms:

frail

CEFR Practice Quiz

The old bridge was made of ____, which made it very heavy and strong.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The old gate was made of heavy ____, which had begun to rust after many years of exposure to rain.

Word Origin & History

From Middle English iren, from Old English īsern, īsærn, īren, īsen, from Proto-West Germanic *īsarn, from Proto-Germanic *īsarną (“iron”), from Proto-Celtic *īsarnom (“iron”), possibly a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots airn, ern (“iron”), Yola eeren (“iron”), Saterland Frisian Iersen (“iron”), West Frisian izer (“iron”), Bavarian Eisn (“iron”), Cimbrian aizarn (“iron”), Dutch ijzer (“iron”), German, Luxembourgish Eisen (“iron”), German Low German Isen (“iron”), Alemannic German Ise (“iron”), Limburgish iezer (“iron”), Mòcheno aisn (“iron”), Vilamovian ȧjza (“iron”), West Flemish yzer (“iron”), Yiddish אײַזן (ayzn, “iron”), Danish jern, jærn (“iron”), Faroese jarn (“iron”), Icelandic járn (“iron”), Jamtish járn, jáðn (“iron”), Norwegian Bokmål jern (“iron”), Norwegian Nynorsk jarn, jern, jønn (“iron”), Swedish jern, jaͤrn, järn (“iron”), Gothic 𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌽 (eisarn, “iron”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"They gather one by one, trickling into the shady courtyard, the familiar hum of Mass. Ave. wafting in from behind brick buildings and iron gates." — 2005 June 9, Michael M. Grynbaum, “An Entryway That Eats Together Stays Together”, in The Harvard Crimson, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2025:

"Ah, throw that old iron over here! We'll pick it up and go on our way." — 1948, John Huston, Treasure of the Sierra Madre:

"the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip" — 1959, Marty Robbins, “Big Iron”:

"The brassey much resembled the driver, but the iron opened out quite a new field of practice; […]" — 1902, Robert Marshall Grade, The Haunted Major:

"I wanted Beauty, and what Nature had failed to supply, Iron would." — 1986, Paul Reed, “Serenity”, in Eric E. Rofes, editor, Gay Life: Leisure, Love, and Living for the Contemporary Gay Male, page 10:

Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words