pig iron

noun

: crude iron that is the direct product of the blast furnace and is refined to produce steel, wrought iron, or ingot iron

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Barbuschak suspects Furnace Road came from a feature on the other side of the Occoquan, in Prince William County: a blast furnace and iron forge founded in 1755 by John Ballendine that made ingots of pig iron. John Kelly, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023 The ironworks had provided pig iron used in making Confederate supplies. al, 6 Mar. 2023 To give the hull ballast so the ship wouldn’t capsize, more than four hundred tons of pig iron and gravel stones were lowered through the hatches into the dark, dank, cavernous hold. David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 Sloss Furnaces operated from 1882-1970 and was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world. al, 17 Aug. 2022 Steelmakers have been using more scrap in their furnaces to lessen their reliance on pig iron, helping drive scrap prices higher in recent weeks. Bob Tita, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 These efforts yielded only pig iron, which had to be decarbonized to make steel. Helen Raleigh, WSJ, 21 Sep. 2022 Pig iron supplies have tightened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended shipments from the two countries, which have been the world’s biggest sellers of pig iron. Bob Tita, WSJ, 28 June 2022 The primary imports from Ukraine tend to be pig iron, iron ore, sunflower oil, soybeans, seamless iron tubes and pipes. Ken Roberts, Forbes, 8 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pig iron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pig iron was in 1665

Dictionary Entries Near pig iron

Cite this Entry

“Pig iron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pig%20iron. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

pig iron

noun
: crude iron that is the direct product of the blast furnace and when refined yields steel, wrought iron, or high-purity iron

More from Merriam-Webster on pig iron

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