ironstone, iron-stone
(ˈaɪənstəʊn, -stən)
The name given to various hard iron-ores containing admixtures of silica, clay, etc.
| 1522 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 160 As much yren stone to be deliveride in one word callid Freretaile. 1523 Fitzherb. Surv. 15 Leed ore tyn cole yrenston. 1677 A. Yarranton Eng. Improv. 43 Having Iron Stone of his own for gathering up, and Wood of his own for nothing, he will have very cheap Guns and Iron. 1802 Playfair Illustr. Hutton. The. 30 On the structure of certain iron-stones, called septaria. 1816 W. Smith Strata Ident. 1 The Muscles and Ammonites found in Ironstone. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. (1858) 60 A shattered and ruined precipice, seamed with blood-red ironstone. |
b. attrib. ironstone china, i. ware, a hard kind of white pottery (see quot. 1875).
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 479 Iron-stone china is not very transparent; but possesses great strength, compactness, density, and durability. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts III. 616 Some of the English porcelain has been called ironstone-china. This is composed usually of 60 parts of Cornish stone, 40 of China-clay, and 2 of flint-glass; or 42 of felspar, the same quantity of clay, 10 parts of flints ground, and 8 of flint-glass. Slag from iron-smelting is sometimes introduced into the paste. 1897 Olive Schreiner P. Halkett i. 14 He had wandered among long grasses and ironstone Koppjes. |