rule with a rod of iron

: a prescribed guide for conduct or action

: the laws or regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for observance by its members

: an accepted procedure, custom, or habit

: to exert control, direction, or influence on

: to exercise control over especially by curbing or restraining

: to exercise authority or power over often harshly or arbitrarily

: a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush

: osier

: a stick or bundle of twigs used to punish

: a silver-white malleable ductile magnetic heavy metallic element that readily rusts in moist air, occurs native in meteorites and combined in most igneous rocks, is the most used of metals, and is vital to biological processes — see Chemical Elements Table

: something made of iron: such as

: shackles for the hands or legs

: of, relating to, or made of iron

: resembling iron

: strong and healthy : robust

: to furnish or cover with iron

: to shackle with irons

: to smooth with or as if with a heated iron