cast iron

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A hard and brittle, but strong, alloy of iron, carbon, and silicon, formed by casting in…

   A hard and brittle, but strong, alloy of iron, carbon, and silicon, formed by casting in a mould.

   • Cast iron is popular for cookware where an even heating temperature is important.
2. 2

   Made of cast iron.

   • I use a cast iron skillet for frying pancakes.
   • Various forms of conductors have been invented, such as wooden and iron pipes, of a round, square, and polygonal section; but at present, scarcely any other than sheet or cast iron pipes are employed.
   • The old black cast iron skillet is an important part of the batterie de cuisine.
3. 3

   Durable

   Durable; tough; resilient.

   • Ernest has a cast iron constitution and never gets sick.
   • Just because a pilot passes a pretty severe medical test every so often, it doesn't mean that he has a Cast Iron constitution and can fly indefinitely.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      Inflexible or without exception.

      • The school's cast iron policy on admissions fees left no leeway for needy students.
      • "The fact is," confided Tulloch, taking his place in the car, "I've been out of things for a bit, Wynn, and I'm finding civilisation a shade cast-iron now. I've been down in the wilds since you were with me."
      • As far as her own theories are concerned, she is limitlessly credulous, to a degree which makes me suspect that she is a cast-iron idiot.

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