Meanings
iron age1
proper nounthe iron age
- Alternative letter-case form of Iron Age.
Iron Age2
proper nounthe Iron Age
- human sciencesThe most recent and debased of the four or five classical Ages of Man; hence, any period characterized by wicked behavior.First known use 16th c.
He that shall examine this iron age wherein we live, where love is cold […] may well ask where is charity?
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 1, member 3 - An age characterized by the use of iron.First known use 16th c.
- archaeologyA level of culture in which humans used iron and the technology of ironworking. (Estimated to have begun in Europe about 1100 BC)First known use 19th c.
Origin
- Danishjernalder
- Latinsaecula ferrea
- EnglishIron Age
From iron + age, in the mythological sense a calque of Latin saecula ferrea, aetas ferrea; in the archaeological sense a calque of Danish jernalder.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَصْر اَلْحَدِيد
- عَصْر اَلْحَدِيد (ʕaṣr al-ḥadīd)archaeology
Catalan edat del ferro
- edat del ferroarchaeology
Chinese Mandarin 鐵器時代 /铁器时代, 鐵器時代 /铁器时代
- 鐵器時代 /铁器时代 (Tiěqì Shídài)mythology
- 鐵器時代 /铁器时代 (Tiěqì Shídài)archaeology
Czech doba železná
- doba železnáarchaeology
Danish jernalder, jernalder
- jernaldermythology
- jernalderarchaeology
Dutch ijzertijd, ijzertijd
- ijzertijdmythology
- ijzertijdarchaeology
Estonian rauaaeg, rauaaeg
- rauaaegmythology
- rauaaegarchaeology
Finnish rautakausi, rautakausi
- rautakausimythology
- rautakausiarchaeology
French âge du fer, âge du fer
- âge du fermythology
- âge du ferarchaeology
German Eisenzeit
- Eisenzeitarchaeology
Greek Εποχή του Σιδήρου
- Εποχή του Σιδήρου (Epochí tou Sidírou)archaeology
Hindi लौह युग
- लौह युग (lauh yug)archaeology
Hungarian vaskor
- vaskorarchaeology
Irish an Iarannaois, an Iarannaois
- an Iarannaoismythology
- an Iarannaoisarchaeology
Italian età del ferro
- età del ferroarchaeology
Japanese 鉄器時代
- 鉄器時代 (Tekki Jidai)archaeology
Korean 철(鐵)의 시대, 철기 시대
- 철(鐵)의 시대 (cheor-ui sidae)mythology
- 철기 시대 (Cheolgi sidae)archaeology
Latvian dzelzs laikmets
- dzelzs laikmetsarchaeology
Malay Zaman Besi, Zaman Besi
- Zaman Besimythology
- Zaman Besiarchaeology
Norwegian jernalder
- jernaldermythology
Norwegian Bokmål jernalder
- jernalderarchaeology
Polish epoka żelaza, epoka żelaza
- epoka żelazamythology
- epoka żelazaarchaeology
Portuguese idade do ferro, Idade do Ferro
- idade do ferromythology
- Idade do Ferromythology
- idade do ferroarchaeology
- Idade do Ferroarchaeology
Romanian epoca fierului, epoca de fier
- epoca fieruluiarchaeology
- epoca de fierarchaeology
Russian желе́зный век, желе́зный век
- желе́зный век (želéznyj vek)mythology
- желе́зный век (želéznyj vek)archaeology
Spanish Edad del Hierro
- Edad del Hierroarchaeology
Swahili Zama za Chuma
- Zama za Chumaarchaeology
Swedish järnålder
- järnålderarchaeology
Turkish Demir Çağı
- Demir Çağıarchaeology
Vietnamese thời đại đồ sắt
- thời đại đồ sắtarchaeology
Welsh Oes yr Haearn
- Oes yr Haearnarchaeology
Cite this entry
APA
iron age. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20age
MLA
“iron age.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20age. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “iron age,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20age.
Source: iron age on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.