noun
- warships covered with iron or steel armor plating
Usage: historical; nautical
Examples
- The Civil War marked the first major use of ironclads in naval warfare.
- The USS Monitor was one of the most famous ironclads of the 1860s.
- European navies quickly adopted ironclads after seeing their effectiveness.
- The battle between ironclads made wooden warships obsolete.
- Steam-powered ironclads revolutionized naval combat.
- Museums display models of historic ironclads from the Civil War era.