sb.
1. An iron with a flat face for smoothing linen, etc.
1809. Sporting Mag., XXXV. Nov., 78/1. She, with a certain flat iron, which she then and there held in her right hand, in and upon his forehead, did strike, penetrate, and wound, thereby giving to him one mortal wound.
1845. Alb. Smith, Fort. Scatterg. Fam., viii. (1887), 29. Mrs. Chicksand attacked a small collar somewhat savagely with a flat-iron, to give weight to her opinions.
2. attrib. and Comb.
1862. H. Marryat, Year in Sweden, II. 370. Huge wooden triangular frames, like flat-iron stands, are ranged up on end by the roadside, to clear the snow in winter season.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., I. 878/2. Flat-iron Heater. A stove specially adapted for heating smoothing-irons. A laundry-stove.
Hence Flat-iron v., to smooth with a flat-iron; Flat-ironing vbl. sb. (in quot. fig.).
1865. Mrs. Whitney, Gayworthys, xxxii. (1879), 314. The ineffable complacency of the perfect woman spread itself over her face, and her features levelled themselves into a plane of benignity, as if they had been suddenly flatironed.
1879. E. Garrett, House by Works, I. 113. She is not the sort of woman to be put down by any of your flat-ironing processes.
