ironwork

I1R1O1N1W4O1R1K5

noun

Anything made wholly or largely of iron, especially when used for decoration.

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounironwork (countable and uncountable, plural ironworks)

plural ironworks

  1. uncountableAnything made wholly or largely of iron, especially when used for decoration.

    The weight of the wrought-ironwork in each of the trusses is 460 tons, inclusive of the longitudinal and cross girders weighing 130 tons.

    1952 September, “Chepstow River Bridge Centenary”, in Railway Magazine, page 623
    2 more examples

    The gate itself has sideposts of rustic stonework, each topped by a large Baroque vase; these sideposts are joined by elaborate floral ironwork with a coat of arms and a coronet in the centre[…]

    2001, A. J. Youngson, The Companion Guide to Edinburgh and the Borders, page 352

    But instead, the distinctive ironwork and glass platform awnings have been carefully refurbished, while making them compatible with the overhead wiring. Kettering's island Platform 2/3 is especially noteworthy. Although it dates from 1879, when the station was enlarged to four platforms, the same original (1857) patterns for the delicate cast-ironwork seem to have been used - […].

    2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A royal occasion as heritage projects honoured: Kettering”, in RAIL, number 972, page 56
  2. countabledatedAn ironworks.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishironwerk
  2. Englishironwork

From Middle English ironwerk, irynwerk, equivalent to iron + -work.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian железни предмети
  • железни предмети (železni predmeti)anything made of iron
Chinese Mandarin 鐵製品 /铁制品
  • 鐵製品 /铁制品 (tiězhìpǐn)anything made of iron
Dutch ijzerwerk
  • ijzerwerkanything made of iron
Finnish rautaesine, rautakoriste
  • rautaesineanything made of iron
  • rautakoristeanything made of iron
French ferronnerie
  • ferronnerieanything made of iron
German Eisenzeug, Eisenarbeit
  • Eisenzeuganything made of iron
  • Eisenarbeitanything made of iron
  • Gusseisenanything made of iron
  • Schmiedeeisenanything made of iron
Italian ferrame
  • ferrameanything made of iron
Korean 철제품
  • 철제품 (cheoljepum)anything made of iron
Portuguese ferragem
  • ferragemanything made of iron
Spanish herraje
  • herrajeanything made of iron
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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