cast iron

noun
an alloy of iron, carbon, and other elements, cast as a soft and strong, or as a hard and brittle, iron, depending on the mixture and methods of molding.
Origin:
1655–65; cast (past participle of cast1) + iron

Dictionary.com Unabridged

cast-i·ron

[kast-ahy-ern, kahst-]
adjective
1.
made of cast iron.
2.
not subject to change or exception: a cast-iron rule.
3.
hardy: a cast-iron stomach.
Origin:
1655–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Cast iron is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
cast iron
 
—n
1.  iron containing so much carbon (1.7 to 4.5 per cent) that it cannot be wrought and must be cast into shape
 
—adj
2.  made of cast iron
3.  rigid, strong, or unyielding: a cast-iron decision

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cast iron
1660s, from cast (pp. adj.) "made by melting and being left to harden in a mold" (1530s), from cast (v.) in sense "to throw something in a particular way" (c.1300).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
We are looking into the use of cast iron detectable warnings.
These types of cast iron pans are easy to use due to its lightweight quality.
Cast iron, even enamel-coated cast iron, are suitable.
The cast iron housings shall have permanently lubricated sleeve bearings.
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