pig iron

noun

1. iron tapped from a blast furnace and cast into pigs in preparation for conversion into steel, cast iron, or wrought iron.
2. iron in the chemical state in which it exists when tapped from the blast furnace, without alloying or refinement.

pig iron

noun

1. crude iron produced in a blast furnace and poured into moulds in preparation for making wrought iron, steels, alloys, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of pig iron¹

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

Large deposits of iron ore had been discovered close by and the furnace was built to process the ore into pig iron.

From Washington Post

In the value of its petroleum, natural gas, clay products, and pig iron it has no close second.

From Project Gutenberg

My purpose in slackening my heat as soon as the pig-iron was melted was to oxidize the phosphorus and sulphur ahead of the carbon.

From Project Gutenberg

More than an eighth and sometimes a quarter of the weight of the pig-iron flows off in slag and is carted away.

From Project Gutenberg

But had he advocated the free and unlimited coinage of pig-iron I could have talked him into a gasping hysteria.

From Project Gutenberg

It puddled the pig-iron until the dross was out, and the pure metal was bessemered into steel.

From Project Gutenberg