Etymology

ironclad

I1R1O1N1C3L1A1D2

Today it means: Covered with iron, steel, or (loosely) any other tough metal; armor-plated. Full definition →

English clad ← Middle English clad ← Old English clǣþan
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ēsh₂r̥no-der.?
  2. Proto-Celtic*īsarnom
  3. Proto-Germanic*īsarną
  4. Proto-West Germanic*īsarn
  5. Old Englishīsern
  6. Old Englishīren
  7. Middle Englishiren
  8. Englishiron
  9. Proto-Indo-European*gley-
  10. Proto-Germanic*klaiþijaną
  11. Proto-West Germanic*klaiþijan
  12. Old Englishclǣþan
  13. Middle Englishclethen
  14. Middle Englishclad
  15. Englishclad
  16. English todayironclad

From iron + clad.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.