ironstone

noun

iron·​stone ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌstōn How to pronounce ironstone (audio)
1
: a hard sedimentary rock rich in iron
especially : a siderite in a coal region
2

Examples of ironstone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Park staff looked over the spot and decided to leave the bone encased in ironstone and use it for educational purposes. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2023 Here, this shelf that sits atop a rustic worktable is packed with ironstone dishes. Anna Logan, Country Living, 28 July 2023 The collision came as a shock, but scientists at the park decided to let nature erode the ironstone further. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2023 In 2014, during a landscaping effort to clear some brush, a piece of heavy machinery struck the ironstone, breaking off a chunk and revealing more of the bone. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2023 The discovery of additional dinosaur fossils soon followed, a trove of prehistory wrested from ironstone and clay. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 12 July 2023 This glazed ironstone planter offers the upscale style of ceramic pots, but is half the weight and is much more durable. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2023 There the ancient inhabitants of a balmy estuary that covered the area more than 300 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period, are entombed in ironstone nodules. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2023 It is made out of ironstone that is durable. Chris Hachey, BGR, 22 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ironstone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ironstone was in 1522

Dictionary Entries Near ironstone

Cite this Entry

“Ironstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ironstone. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ironstone

noun
iron·​stone ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌstōn How to pronounce ironstone (audio)
: a hard white pottery first made in England

called also ironstone china

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