- iron
- 1
noun
1 METAL (U) a common hard metal that is used to make steel, is magnetic and is found in very small quantities in food and blood: There were huge iron gates in front of the mansion. | iron ore | Spinach is full of iron.2 FOR CLOTHES (C) a thing that you use for making clothes smooth, which has a heated flat metal base3 have several irons in the fire to be involved in several different activities or have several plans4 SPORT (C) a golf club (2) made of metal rather than wood5 CHAINS irons (plural) especially literary a chain used to prevent a prisoner from moving: clap sb in irons old use (=put chains on them)6 have a will of iron/an iron will to have an extremely strong and determined character—see also: pump iron pump 2 (8), rule sb/sth with a rod of iron rule 2 (6), strike while the iron's hot strike 1 (24) 2 verb (T) to make clothes smooth using an iron: Have you ironed my shirt? —see also: ironing iron sth out phrasal verb (T)1 to solve or get rid of problems or difficulties, especially small ones: We need to iron out a few operating problems first. | iron out the kinks AmE (=deal with small problems so that you can succeed): You'll need to iron out the kinks in your routine before you go on stage.2 to remove folds from your clothes by ironing them3 adjective (only before noun) very firm and strong or determined: iron discipline
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.