| iron | 1. To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth, as cloth, with a heated flatiron; sometimes used with out. 2. To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff. "Ironed like a malefactor." 3. To furnish or arm with iron; as, to iron a wagon. Origin: Ironed; Ironing. 1. Of, or made of iron; consisting of iron; as, an iron bar, dust. 2. Resembling iron in colour; as, iron blackness. 3. Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, power of endurance, insensibility, etc.; as: Rude; hard; harsh; severe. "Iron years of wars and dangers." (Rowe) "Jove crushed the nations with an iron rod." (Pope) Firm; robust; enduring; as, an iron constitution. Inflexible; unrelenting; as, an iron will. Not to be broken; holding or binding fast; tenacious. "Him death's iron sleep oppressed." Iron is often used in composition, denoting made of iron, relating to iron, of or with iron; producing iron, etc.; resembling iron, literally or figuratively, in some of its properties or characteristics; as, iron-shod, iron-sheathed, iron-fisted, iron-framed, iron-handed, iron-hearted, iron foundry or iron-foundry. Iron age. Common pyrites, or pyrite. See Pyrites. Iron sand, an iron ore in grains, usually the magnetic iron ore, formerly used to sand paper after writing. Iron scale, the thin film which on the surface of wrought iron in the process of forging. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide of iron, Fe3O4>. Iron works, a furnace where iron is smelted, or a forge, rolling mill, or foundry, where it is made into heavy work, such as shafting, rails, cannon, merchant bar, etc. Origin: AS. Iren, isen. See Iron. 1. <chemistry> The most common and most useful metallic element, being of almost universal occurrence, usually in the form of an oxide (as hematite, magnetite, etc), or a hydrous oxide (as limonite, turgite, etc). It is reduced on an enormous scale in three principal forms; viz, cast iron, steel, and wrought iron. Iron usually appears dark brown, from oxidation or impurity, but when pure, or an fresh surface, is a gray or white metal. It is easily oxidized (rusted) by moisture, and is attacked by many corrosive agents. Symbol Fe (Latin Ferrum). Atomic weight 55.9. Specific gravity, pure iron.86; cast iron.1. In magnetic properties, it is superior to all other substances. The value of iron is largely due to the facility with which it can be worked. Thus, when heated it is malleable and ductile, and can be easily welded and forged at a high temperature. As cast iron, it is easily fusible; as steel, is very tough, and (when tempered) very hard and elastic. Chemically, iron is grouped with cobalt and nickel. Steel is a variety of iron containing more carbon than wrought iron, but less that cast iron. It is made either from wrought iron, by roasting in a packing of carbon (cementation) or from cast iron, by burning off the impurities in a Bessemer converter (then called Bessemer steel), or directly from the iron ore (as in the Siemens rotatory and generating furnace). 2. An instrument or utensil made of iron; chiefly in composition; as, a flatiron, a smoothing iron, etc. "My young soldier, put up your iron." (Shak) 3. Fetters; chains; handcuffs; manacles. "Four of the sufferers were left to rot in irons." (Macaulay) 4. Strength; power; firmness; inflexibility; as, to rule with a rod of iron. Bar iron. See Wrought iron (below). Bog iron, bog ore; limonite. See Bog ore, under Bog. <chemistry> Cast iron, the purest form of iron commonly known in the arts, containing only about half of one per cent of carbon. It is made either directly from the ore, as in the Catalan forge or bloomery, or by purifying (puddling) cast iron in a reverberatory furnace or refinery. It is tough, malleable, and ductile. When formed into bars, it is called bar iron. Origin: OE. Iren, AS. Iren, isen, isern; akin to D. Ijzer, OS. Isarn, OHG. Isarn, isan, G. Eisen, Icel. Isarn, jarn, Sw. & Dan. Jern, and perh. To E. Ice; cf. Ir. Iarann, W. Haiarn, Armor. Houarn. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| iron-52 | A radioactive iron isotope; a cyclotron-produced positron emitter with a half-life of 8.28 hr, used to study iron metabolism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron-55 | An iron isotope; a positron emitter with a half-life of 2.73 years; used (less often than 59Fe) as a tracer in study of iron metabolism and in blood perfusion studies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron-59 | An iron isotope; a gamma and beta emitter with a half-life of 44.51 days; used as tracer in study of iron metabolism, determination of blood volume, and in blood transfusion studies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron alum | An astringent and styptic. Synonym: ammonium ferric sulfate, ferric alum, iron alum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron-binding capacity | The capacity of iron-binding protein in serum (transferrin) to bind serum iron. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron chelating agents | Organic chemicals that form two or more coordination links with an iron ion. Once coordination has occurred, the complex formed is called a chelate. The iron-binding porphyrin group of haemoglobin is an example of a metal chelate found in biological systems. (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron compounds | Inorganic compounds that contain iron as an integral part of the molecule. (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron deficiency | Deficiency of iron results in anaemia because iron is necessary to make haemoglobin, the key molecule in red blood cells responsible for the transport of oxygen. In iron deficiency anaemia, the red cells are unusally small (microcytic) and pale (hypochromic). Characteristic features of iron deficiency anaemia in children include failure to thrive (grow) and increased infections. The treatment of iron deficiency anaemia , whether it be in children or adults, is with iron and iron-containing foods. Food sources of iron include meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables and cereals (especially those fortified with iron). According to the National Academy of Sciences, the recommended dietary allowances of iron are 15 milligrams per day for women and 10 milligrams per day for men. (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron deficiency anaemia | Hypochromic microcytic anaemia characterised by low serum iron, increased serum iron-binding capacity, decreased serum ferritin, and decreased marrow iron stores. Synonym: hypoferric anaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron-dextran complex | <chemical> Iron dextran. A complex of ferric oxyhydroxide with dextrans of 5000 to 7000 daltons in a viscous solution containing 50 mg/ml of iron. It is supplied as a parenteral preparation and is used as a haematinic. (goodman and gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 8th ed, p1292) Pharmacological action: haematinics. Chemical name: Iron dextran (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron dextrin | A complex of dextrin with ferric hydroxide; used intravenously in the treatment of iron deficiency. (05 Mar 2000) |
| iron, dietary | Iron or iron compounds used in foods or as food. Dietary iron is important in oxygen transport and the synthesis of the iron-porphyrin proteins haemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, and cytochrome oxidase. Insufficient amounts of dietary iron can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron excess | Iron overload can damage the heart, liver, gonads and other organs. Iron overload is a particular risk in people who may have certain genetic conditions (haemochromatosis) sometimes without knowing it and also in people receiving recurrent blood transfusions. According to the national academy of sciences, the recommended dietary allowances of iron are 15 milligrams per day for women and 10 milligrams per day for men. (12 Dec 1998) |
| iron haematoxylin | Unique ferric lakes of haematein that produce deep blue-black stains; useful for studies of cytologic detail, such as chromosomes, spindle fibres, Golgi apparatus, myofibrils, and mitochrondria; also useful to demonstrate Entamoeba histolytica. See: Heidenhain's iron haematoxylin stain, Weigert's iron haematoxylin stain. (05 Mar 2000) |