ironwood

American  

[ahy-ern-wood] / ˈaɪ ərnˌwʊd /

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.

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ironwood British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of ironwood

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