Word
ferrous
Phoneticsfer·rous
US/ˈfɛɹəs/
UK/fˈɛɹəs/
Definition
adj. containing iron. You use this word to describe metals or minerals that have iron in them.
adj. containing or consisting of iron. Often used in technical contexts to distinguish iron-based compounds from non-iron ones.
Examples
“Steel is a common ferrous metal used in construction.”
“The laboratory tested the soil samples to determine the level of ferrous compounds present in the groundwater.”
“In metallurgy, the distinction between ferrous and non-ferrous materials is fundamental, as the presence of iron significantly alters the magnetic properties and corrosion resistance of the alloy.”
Examples
simple
“Steel is a common ferrous metal used in construction.”
contextual
“The laboratory tested the soil samples to determine the level of ferrous compounds present in the groundwater.”
complex
“In metallurgy, the distinction between ferrous and non-ferrous materials is fundamental, as the presence of iron significantly alters the magnetic properties and corrosion resistance of the alloy.”
Etymology
From Latin ferrum (“iron”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ferrous