ironing
UK[ˈaɪənɪŋ]US[ˈaɪərnɪŋ]
n
The activity or task of making clothes smooth using a heated iron.
n
Clothes that need to be ironed or have been ironed.
Morpheme Breakdown
iron
ing
iron
metal element/tool
ing
noun-forming suffix
Etymology
The word 'ironing' is built upon the noun 'iron', which traces back to the Old English 'īren'. This term is of ancient Germanic lineage, likely derived from the Celtic 'īsarnon', reflecting the early importance of ironworking in Celtic and Germanic societies. The '-ing' suffix, a productive noun-forming element in English, attaches to the tool name to create a gerund, transforming the concrete object into the name of the activity performed with it. Thus, the literal "act of using an iron" logically evolved from the name of the metal tool itself, encapsulating a common domestic process.
Analysis
Structure: iron (metal element/tool) + ing (noun-forming suffix)
- iron: From Old English 'īsern/īren', of Germanic origin, related to Dutch 'ijzer' and German 'Eisen'. It functions as the core noun, denoting the metal and, by extension, the tool made from it.
- ing: A suffix of Old English origin, used to form nouns from verbs (gerunds) or to denote materials or activities associated with the base word.
Examples
She did the ironing while listening to the radio.
A large pile of ironing was waiting for him on the chair.
The new steam iron made the ironing much quicker and easier.