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👤 A family name 💪 A strong person 🚢 A navy ship
Ironsides

Ironsides

1 9.2
The name of several US Navy ships, especially a Civil War ironclad
  • proper noun
  • /ˈaɪərnˌsaɪdz/
  • US
translation icon : Ironsides
  • Visitors can explore the historic warship Old Ironsides at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
  • Old Ironsides
  • Ironsides, the USS
  • New Ironsides

Examples

  • The USS Constitution, famously known as Old Ironsides, is celebrated for its remarkable service during the War of 1812.

  • - At last, Old Ironsides ventures forth.

    Cromwell (1970)

  • Eighth grade readers contain such stories as Long John Silver, A Christmas Carol, and poetry such as My Shadow or Old Ironsides.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The defeat of the British warship called Guerriere earned the USS Constitution the nickname of Old Ironsides, and public affection for this old sailing vessel has repeatedly saved it from scrapping.

    Blog text (15)

  • Commissioned in 1797, Old Ironsides is the oldest active-duty warship in the world.

Surface Forms

Ironsides main

Morphology

Ironsides = iron + side (transparent) = iron + side + s

Applied to ships, the compound signals 'iron' plating on the sides (armored hull), a directly interpretable image for learners.

Etymology

Ironsides became a famous name for ships after people said cannon shot bounced off the hull of the USS Constitution, so her sides seemed like iron. The name joins iron ('strong metal') and sides ('the outside parts of a ship'), which creates the image of a vessel built to resist attack. So, calling a ship Ironsides means it is strong and well protected.