Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

desert ironwood

noun

Definition of desert ironwood

1 : a small leguminous tree (Olneya tesota) of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico with odd-pinnate leaves and purplish white flowers in short racemes

— called also Sonora ironwood

2 : the hard wood of the desert ironwood

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about desert ironwood

Share desert ironwood

Statistics for desert ironwood

Look-up Popularity

Comments on desert ironwood

What made you want to look up desert ironwood? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

adjudicate

to settle judicially or to act as judge

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Homophone Quiz

  • three-bears-two-of-them-look-like-theyre-whispering-to-a-third-bear-who-looks-chuffed-to-be-the-center-of-attention
  • In order to judge how people felt, the senator's office hired a firm to take a ______.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games