ferrous

F4E1R1R1O1U1S1
/ˈfɛɹəs/

adjective

Of or containing iron.

“ferrous scrap”

Similar
ferricferreoussiderousferruginous
Opposite
nonferrous
OriginLatin ferreus ← French ferreux →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectiveferrous (comparative more ferrous, superlative most ferrous)

comparative more ferrous · superlative most ferrous

  1. Of or containing iron.

    ferrous scrap

    1 more example

    ferrous metals

    Synonyms: ferric, ferreous, siderous, ferruginous

  2. chemistryOf compounds of iron in which it has a valence or oxidation number of +2.
  3. Of an element: iron, or in certain ways similar to iron. (Said mainly of iron group elements, in any sense of that term.)

    ferrous metals

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or containing iron.

Similar
ferricferreoussiderousferruginous

antonym(s) of “all senses”

Opposite
nonferrous

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or relating to or containing iron

Similar
ferric
Also see
ferreousferricferruginousironysiderous

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchferreux
  2. Latinferreus
  3. Englishferrous

From ferro- + -ous, from Latin ferreus directly or via French ferreux, from ferrum (“iron”) + -eus (“-ous: forming adjectives”).

More words from Latin, French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَدِيدِيّ
  • حَدِيدِيّ (ḥadīdiyy)of or containing iron
Bulgarian желе́зен
  • желе́зен (želézen)of or containing iron
Catalan ferrós, ferruginós
  • ferrósof or containing iron
  • ferruginósof or containing iron
  • ferróschemistry
Chinese Mandarin 鐵製的 /铁制的
  • 鐵製的 /铁制的of or containing iron
Czech železnatý
  • železnatýchemistry
Danish jern-
  • jern-of or containing iron
Dutch ijzeren
  • ijzerenof or containing iron
Finnish rautainen, rautapitoinen
  • rautainenof or containing iron
  • rautapitoinenof or containing iron
French ferreux, ferrugineux
  • ferreuxof or containing iron
  • ferrugineuxof or containing iron
German eisern, eisenhaltig
  • eisernof or containing iron
  • eisenhaltigof or containing iron
Greek σιδερένιος
  • σιδερένιος (siderénios)of or containing iron
Irish iarnaí, iarnda
  • iarnaíof or containing iron
  • iarndaof or containing iron
  • iarnúilof or containing iron
  • iarnúilchemistry
Italian ferreo, ferroso
  • ferreoof or containing iron
  • ferrosoof or containing iron
  • ferricoof or containing iron
Japanese 鉄
  • 鉄 (tetsu)of or containing iron
Latin ferreus, ferrugineus
  • ferreusof or containing iron
  • ferrugineusof or containing iron
Latvian dzelzs-
  • dzelzs-of or containing iron
Lithuanian geležinis
  • geležinisof or containing iron
Malay ferus
  • ferusof or containing iron
Māori rino, whairino
  • rinoof or containing iron
  • whairinoof or containing iron
Norwegian jern-, jernholdig
  • jern-of or containing iron
  • jernholdigof or containing iron
Polish żelazny, żelazisty
  • żelaznyof or containing iron
  • żelazistyof or containing iron
  • żelazawychemistry
Portuguese férreo, ferroso
  • férreoof or containing iron
  • ferrosoof or containing iron
  • ferrosochemistry
Russian желе́зный
  • желе́зный (želéznyj)of or containing iron
Slovak železný
  • železnýof or containing iron
Spanish férreo, férrico
  • férreoof or containing iron
  • férricoof or containing iron
  • ferrosoof or containing iron
  • ferrosochemistry
Swedish järn-, ferro-
  • järn-of or containing iron
  • ferro-chemistry
Ukrainian залі́зний
  • залі́зний (zalíznyj)of or containing iron
Welsh haearnaidd, fferrus
  • haearnaiddof or containing iron
  • fferruschemistry

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ferrous

terrace
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ferrous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferrous

MLA

“ferrous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferrous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ferrous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferrous.

Source: ferrous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.