iron age
/ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/ proper noun
Forms the iron age
- proper noun (mythology) The most recent and debased of the four or five classical Ages of Man; hence, any period characterized by wicked behavior.
- proper noun An age characterized by the use of iron.
- proper noun (archaeology) A level of culture in which humans used iron and the technology of ironworking. (Estimated to have begun in Europe about 1100 BC)
Etymology
From iron + age, in the mythological sense a calque of Latin saecula ferrea, aetas ferrea; in the archaeological sense a calque of Danish jernalder.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “iron age”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details