angle iron
- noun
- /ˈæŋɡəl ˈaɪərn/
- Specialized
- Hammering increased density and solidity, and even area by up to one-fifth; resulting uneven edges were removed with an angle iron and shears.
Examples
-
I've added in some angle iron to keep the insulation in place.
-
He purchased several lengths of angle iron to support the roof beams of his workshop.
-
During the impact a piece of metal with an angle iron on the end came through the floor and went through my leg and I never felt it.
-
And then to give this a bit of strength bit of angle iron, I'm going to Weld that to there.
-
In the manufacture of a photocopier frame, angle iron steel stock is first cut and pierced in a punch press to form rails.
Academic text (1995) -
The builder used angle iron to create a sturdy frame for the new shelving unit.
-
For added stability, the construction team reinforced the structure with angle iron at the corners.
Synonyms
A metal L-shaped support used to join two pieces at a right angle
How Strong
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun–noun compound literally describes a piece of iron defined by its shape: 'angle' (an angled/corner shape) + 'iron' (the metal) yields iron with an angled/L-shaped cross-section. This is a straightforward, productive compositional pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Angle iron is a compound name for a piece of iron bent into an angle so it looks like the letter L. Builders put this L-shaped metal at corners to give 'support', so the name tells you what it does.