white iron
[= med.L. album ferrum, F. fer-blanc tin-plate.]
a. Tinned iron, tin-plate. b. Cast iron of a silvery colour containing most or all of its carbon in combination.
| 1532 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. VI. 155, vj mesouris of quhite irne for the hagbutis charge. 1632, 1745, 1881 [see iron n.1 2]. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 1252 The only alloy of iron interesting to the arts, is that with tin, in the formation of tin-plate, or white iron. |
c. attrib. † white-iron man, smith, a tin-smith.
| 1731 in Rec. Convent. Burghs Scot. (1885) V. 528 Spurriers, gunsmyths, whiteiron smyths. 1765 Watt in Muirhead Invent. Watt. (1854) I. 13 My old white-iron man [footn., Anglicé, tin-man] is dead. 1785 Boswell Hebrides 19 Aug., James Hood, White Iron Smith. 1814 Scott Wav. lxiii, Deacon Clank, the white-iron smith. |