| 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. |
[kast-ahy-ern, kahst-] 
| 1. | made of cast iron. |
| 2. | not subject to change or exception: a cast-iron rule. |
| 3. | hardy: a cast-iron stomach. |
| cast iron n. A hard, brittle, nonmalleable iron-carbon alloy, cast into shape, containing 2 to 4.5 percent carbon, 0.5 to 3 percent silicon, and lesser amounts of sulfur, manganese, and phosphorus. |