ironworker
ironworker — noun
1. a construction worker who erects the steel frame of buildings, bridges, or other
a construction worker who erects the steel frame of buildings, bridges, or other large structures on site
The ironworkers bolted the steel beams together sixty meters above the busy city street.
ironworkers + bolted steel beams + [height] above
Pablo worked as an ironworker on the bridge project, securing massive girders in place with a crane.
A team of ten ironworkers hoisted each steel column into position and tightened the bolts by hand.
The ironworker wore a safety harness while walking along the narrow steel beam to connect the next section.
- steel erector
emphasises the work of putting steel pieces in place
- structural ironworker
fuller term; emphasises the structural nature of the work
用法筆記
This sense is the most common meaning of 'ironworker' in modern North American English. These workers often join a union and work at heights on construction sites.
2. a skilled worker in a workshop who cuts, welds, and assembles steel parts to be
a skilled worker in a workshop who cuts, welds, and assembles steel parts to be used in buildings or bridges
The ironworker measured the steel beam twice before cutting it with a powered saw.
ironworker + measured + steel beam before cutting
Wei worked as an ironworker fabricating support columns for a new sports stadium in Taipei.
Binta's team of ironworkers assembled the steel frame inside the workshop and checked every weld for cracks.
Andre was promoted to senior ironworker after mastering the techniques for welding thick steel plates.
- fabricator
shortened form, common in the industry
- steel worker
broader term covering both shop fabrication and on-site construction
用法筆記
This sense focuses on off-site fabrication in a workshop, distinct from sense 1 which involves on-site erection of steel structures.
3. someone employed at a factory where iron is produced from raw ore inside large f
someone employed at a factory where iron is produced from raw ore inside large furnaces
The ironworkers at the plant started their shift when the morning bell rang at six o'clock.
ironworkers at the plant + shift
Deepa's uncle worked as an ironworker at a smelting plant near the coast of southern India.
Samir spent fifteen years as an ironworker pouring molten metal into moulds at the mill.
The union negotiated better safety equipment for the ironworkers who operate the blast furnaces.
- mill worker
broader term; could work at any type of mill, not only iron
- foundry worker
more specific; a foundry melts and casts metal
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 refers to factory-scale iron production (smelting, casting), not hand-crafting objects.
4. a person whose job is to make objects and tools from iron by heating, hammering,
a person whose job is to make objects and tools from iron by heating, hammering, or shaping the metal
The ironworker at the market crafted a set of decorative gates for the Watanabe family.
ironworker + crafted + for [customer]
Lucia trained for three years before becoming a skilled ironworker who repairs old farming tools.
Rosa's grandfather was an ironworker who made railings for buildings in the old part of Lisbon.
The village ironworker heated the metal rod until it glowed orange, then bent it into a horseshoe shape.
- blacksmith
more traditional term; a blacksmith works at a forge with a hammer and anvil
- smith
shorter, more general; also used for goldsmiths, silversmiths, etc.
用法筆記
This is the traditional sense referring to a craftsperson who shapes iron by hand, similar to a blacksmith. In modern contexts the word more often refers to construction steelworkers (sense 1).