IRONING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ironing mean? 

• IRONING (noun)
  The noun IRONING has 2 senses:

1. garments (clothes or linens) that are to be (or have been) ironed

2. the work of using heat to smooth washed clothes in order to remove any wrinkles

  Familiarity information: IRONING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IRONING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Garments (clothes or linens) that are to be (or have been) ironed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

there was a basketful of ironing to do

Hypernyms ("ironing" is a kind of...):

garment (an article of clothing)

household linen; white goods (drygoods for household use that are typically made of white cloth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ironing"):

flat wash; flatwork (ironing that can be done mechanically)

Derivation:

iron (press and smooth with a heated iron)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The work of using heat to smooth washed clothes in order to remove any wrinkles

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("ironing" is a kind of...):

work (activity directed toward making or doing something)

Derivation:

iron (press and smooth with a heated iron)

 Context examples 

He danced him over the ironing tables, the stove, and the mangles, and out into the wash- room and over the wringer and washer.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It seems that Tina is the child of the Frenchwoman who does the fine ironing in the laundry here.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Sit there, she said, placing me on the sofa, while we take our things off and get the tea ready; it is another privilege we exercise in our little moorland home—to prepare our own meals when we are so inclined, or when Hannah is baking, brewing, washing, or ironing.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

This task consisted of ironing all the unstarched portions of the shirts.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

All other errands were done, and Meg and her mother busy at some necessary needlework, while Beth and Amy got tea, and Hannah finished her ironing with what she called a 'slap and a bang', but still Jo did not come.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He found her in the kitchen one morning groaning with pain, tears of weakness running down her cheeks, vainly endeavoring to put through a large ironing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The ironing had to be done, she protested, and delivered that night, or else there would be no food on the morrow for the seven small and hungry Silvas.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But the weapon remained poised in mid-air, for Martin found himself back in the ironing room in the midst of a snow-storm.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Martin caught an amusing glimpse of himself ironing fluffy white things that women wear.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He rubbed out collars and cuffs, rubbing the starch out from between the double thicknesses of linen so that there would be no blisters when it came to the ironing, and doing it at a pace that elicited Joe's praise.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)