cold iron
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A bad omen.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A sword, or any other weapon for cutting or stabbing. I gave him two inches of cold iron into his beef.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cold iron” mean?
A bad omen.
Is “cold iron” formal or informal?
cold iron is generally slang.