Ironwood
/ˈaɪərnˌwʊd/noun
A common name for several trees whose exceptionally hard, dense wood may sink in water.
Did you know?“Ironwood” is not one botanical species but a name independently given to numerous trees worldwide, including tropical species traditionally valued for tools, weapons, and construction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*isarnom / *widhu-
“The ancestral roots behind “iron” and “wood”: metal and tree or timber.”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*īsarną / *widuz
“Iron; wood or forest.”
Old English
Old English
īsern / wudu
“Iron; wood, timber, or a forest.”
Middle English
Middle English
iren / wode
“Iron; wood or woodland.”
Modern English
English
ironwood
“A compound name for trees with unusually hard or heavy timber.”