ironwood

noun

iron·​wood ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce ironwood (audio)
1
: any of numerous trees and shrubs (such as a hornbeam or hop hornbeam) with exceptionally tough or hard wood
2
: the wood of an ironwood

Examples of ironwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Inside the forest, 150-foot canopies of kapok and red ironwood trees came to an abrupt end at an unobstructed meadow the size of Times Square. Zhengyang Wang, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2024 Outside is a large backyard planted with cacti and citrus, apple, plum, cottonwood, and ironwood trees, a swing set, and a special area with rocks and a fountain for desert tortoises; downtown Tucson is a 20-minute drive. The Week Staff, theweek, 6 Mar. 2024 About 100 native trees, including desert willows, ironwoods and mesquite, were donated by a local nursery and planted. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Its extensive landscaping brings the tiered facades to life, factoring in indigenous plants and trees from all over Turkey and other vegetation, such as mushroom oaks, ironwood, stone pines, and Chinese wisteria. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ironwood 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ironwood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ironwood was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near ironwood

Cite this Entry

“Ironwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ironwood. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ironwood

noun
iron·​wood -ˌwu̇d How to pronounce ironwood (audio)
1
: any of numerous trees and shrubs with very tough hard wood
2
: the wood of an ironwood

More from Merriam-Webster on ironwood

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