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# iron

«iron» in Mova's school dictionary: **a strong, hard, grey metal used to make steel, tools…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (iron, uncountable as the metal; an iron, irons as the tool); verb (iron, irons, ironed, ironing); adjective (an iron gate)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Iron is a strong, hard, grey metal used to make steel, tools, gates and railings. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#m1)

2) An iron is a household tool with a flat hot bottom that you press on clothes to make them smooth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#m2)

3) To iron clothes is to make them smooth with an iron. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#m3)

4) Iron is also a mineral your body needs in its blood, found in foods like spinach, red meat and beans. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#m4)

5) Iron can also describe something very strong, hard or cruel, like an iron grip. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In science, iron is a chemical element (symbol Fe); it is magnetic, and it rusts when wet and in air. Magnets attract iron. In health lessons, iron helps blood carry oxygen. At home, a hot iron can burn: never touch the flat part and unplug it after use. Phrases: iron out (solve problems), an iron will, the Iron Age, cast iron.

### examples

- Magnets pick up iron nails. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x1)
- The gate is made of iron. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x2)
- Mum irons my school shirt on Sunday night. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x3)
- Be careful, the iron is very hot! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x4)
- Spinach has iron in it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x5)
- Iron rusts if you leave it out in the rain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x6)
- In the Iron Age people made tools from iron. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x7)
- Dad is ironing his trousers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x8)
- But an iron claw gripped his shoulder. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/#x9)

### note

Pronounced «EYE-ern» in most of the world (the r is silent in British English). Iron the metal is uncountable; an iron (the tool) is countable. Not all metals are magnetic: iron, nickel and steel are; aluminium and copper are not. Rust is iron oxide.

### In the corpora

- [Red blood cells carry oxygen using iron-rich haemoglobin, white cells fight germs, and platelets help stop bleeding.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/65-the-heart-and-blood/9/)
- [The colour comes from iron in the enamel, which makes the tooth harder.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/316-rodents-the-biggest-group-of-mammals-and-their-ever-growing-teeth/5/)
- [The orange colour of many rodents' front teeth comes from iron in the enamel, which makes it harder.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/316-rodents-the-biggest-group-of-mammals-and-their-ever-growing-teeth/8/)
- [An iron bell-pull hung by the side, and below it, on a small brass plate ...](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/36-willows-ch3-part4-the-door-scraper/33/)
- [She calls out a last joke about ironing his face.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/62-willows-ch10-part2-a-shilling-a-leg/4/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «iron» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/iron/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.