ironwood

[ ahy-ern-wood ]

noun

1. any of various trees yielding a hard, heavy wood, as the American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, or Lyonothamnus floribundus, found on the islands off the coast of S California.
2. the wood of any of these trees.

ironwood

/ ˈaɪənˌwʊd /

noun

1. any of various betulaceous trees, such as hornbeam, that have very hard wood
2. a Californian rosaceous tree, Lyonothamnus floribundus, with very hard wood
3. any of various other trees with hard wood, such as the mopani
4. the wood of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of ironwood¹

First recorded in 1650–60; iron + wood ¹

Example Sentences

There, Ray and his team used a drought-tolerant blend of grasses for limited lawn areas, while the rest of the property was arrayed with native and desert-adapted plants, including ironwood trees and statuesque saguaros.

From Seattle Times

He showed me the stump of a Borneo ironwood—a victim of loggers.

From National Geographic

The decks are made from ironwood, a fire-resistant lumber.

From New York Times

Among them: red maple, red oak, basswood and ironwood.

From Scientific American

But what most delighted me was the perfect marriage of ornament and function in an 18th-century ironwood club from Fiji.

From New York Times