ironclad
ironclad Lexical Profile
ironclad Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Impossible to contradict, weaken, or break; completely binding and secure.
"The defense attorney presented an ironclad alibi that proved his client was out of the country on the day of the crime."
Covered or protected with heavy iron or steel armor.
"The museum featured a detailed scale model of an ironclad ship from the American Civil War."
• noun
A 19th-century wooden warship outfitted with thick iron or steel armor plating for protection in battle.
"The famous naval clash between the Monitor and the Virginia proved that the era of the wooden warship was over and the age of the ironclad had begun."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-19th century (circa 1860) to describe wooden warships fitted with heavy iron armor plates. By the late 19th century, the term acquired its figurative meaning of an agreement or rule that is unbreakable.