cast iron

Definition

A hard and brittle, but strong, alloy of iron, carbon, and silicon, formed by casting in a mould.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "Cast iron is popular for cookware where an even heating temperature is important."
• "The history of cast iron in railway bridges is much more grimly chequered. Brunel's misgivings were proved prudent, tragically, in the 1879 failure of Thomas Bouch's Tay bridge (once a monument to cast iron, now a memorial to many lives lost)."