cast iron - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

• castiron, cast-iron

Derived from the casting of this form of iron. See wrought iron for comparison.

cast iron (countable and uncountable, plural cast irons)

1. 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.

cast iron (comparative more cast iron, superlative most cast iron)

1. (not comparable) Made of cast iron.

   I use a cast iron skillet for frying pancakes.

   • 1851, Frederick Overman, “Blast Pipes”, in The Manufacture of Iron, in All its Various Branches. […] , 2nd edition, Philadelphia: Henry C. Baird, page 413:

     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.

   • 1979 May, Ernest Gueymard, “Louisiana's Creole-Acadian Cuisine”, in Renaud S. Albert, editor, A Franco-American Overview‎^[1], volume 1, →ISBN, page 295:

     The old black cast iron skillet is an important part of the batterie de cuisine.

   • 2008, Steven P. Moysey, The Road to Balcombe Street: The IRA Reign of Terror in London, Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Press, →ISBN, page 58:

     Three small gelignite bombs, with pocket watch timing devices, were concealed in packets small enough to fit through the slot of the standard cast-iron post box, the cylindrical bright red colored boxes so common throughout London.

2. Durable; tough; resilient.

   Ernest has a cast iron constitution and never gets sick.

   • 1932 January, Charles W. Purcell, “Stop Telling the Pilot What to Do”, in Popular Aviation‎^[2], volume 10, number 1, →ISSN, page 62:

     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.

3. Inflexible or without exception.

   The school's cast iron policy on admissions fees left no leeway for needy students.

   • 2016 March 19, Rod Liddle, “What makes the white working class angry? Twits like Hsiao-Hung Pai”, in The Spectator:

     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.

• (durable, tough, resilient): bulletproof, impervious, iron, robust, unshakable
• (inflexible or without exception): iron-clad, stern, unrelenting, unwavering

• cast-iron stomach

• wrought iron
• pig iron

• carotins, Cortinas, castorin, anticors, Crisanto, tricosan-, nicators, cortinas, Nicastro, cantoris, Nicotras, conistra, C-rations, Cintoras