flat iron

Noun

flatiron (plural flatirons)

1. A simple iron (for pressing laundry) which is heated on a stove.
   • The evil-smelling larrikin, beer-imbued —
     The evil-loving brute-man homeward goes,
     He kicks his dirty children with his boot,
     Cursing their hunger, — and his poor worn wife
     With cold flat-irons and handled broom awaits
     His coming, to revile his drinking hard.1881 December 3, Sydney Punch, page 8, column 2
2. A pair of metal tongs with heated ceramic plates used for straightening hair.

   Synonyms:

   straightener

3. (especially) a quadrilateral with two parallel sides, one of which is very short, and whose non-parallel sides are longer than either parallel side.
4. A steeply sloping triangular landform created by the differential erosion of a steeply dipping, erosion-resistant layer of rock overlying softer strata.

See all 6 meanings of flatiron