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Glite Dictionary
sheet iron

sheet iron

4.8
A thin flat metal made by rolling or hammering used for roofs and building parts
  • noun
  • /ʃiːt ˈaɪərn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hierro laminado
  • Smoke came leaking out of thatch in tatters that ran down the wet driving window in a few cases from chimneys of brick or sheet iron nowadays.

Examples

  • They took pictures of the exterior of the fantastic wooden house with its towers and numerous bay windows blocked on the inside with sheet iron.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The roof was constructed using durable sheet iron to withstand harsh weather conditions.

  • For the new barn, they decided to use sheet iron for the walls because of its strength and longevity.

  • The artist created a sculpture from thin pieces of sheet iron that reflected light beautifully.

Synonyms

plate iron
vssheet iron
5.4

Flat sheets of iron used to make or strengthen buildings and ships

is thinner and made for uses requiring thin flat metal

How Thick

slab
87 3.3
plate
296 3.4
sheet iron
  • Specialized
4.8
foil
94 2.8

Surface Forms

sheet iron singular
sheet irons plural

Morphology

sheet + iron

This is a literal compound: 'sheet' (a thin, flat layer) combined with 'iron' (the metal) denotes iron formed into thin, flat sheets. The meaning is directly compositional and common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

The noun sheet iron names iron that has been rolled or hammered into thin, flat sheets. Imagine large flat pieces of metal used to make roofs or boxes, so it means 'iron made into thin, flat pieces'.