Definition
A form of commercially pure iron containing a small amount of slag distributed in fibrous strands through the metal. It is tough, malleable, ductile, and easily welded or forged, but is soft and has low tensile strength compared with steel.
Plain English
A soft, bendable form of iron with thin streaks of slag running through it. It can be hammered, shaped, and welded easily, but it is not as strong as steel.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft materials, repair, and restoration discussions, especially when identifying metal parts in older aircraft or older reference books.
Derivation
Wrought is the old past tense of work. Wrought iron literally means worked iron — iron that has been hammered and shaped while hot rather than cast in a mould. The name reflects how it is made and worked, not what it is used for.
Why Pilots Care
Correct identification ensures proper repair techniques and material substitution decisions that preserve the airworthiness of legacy aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not read wrought iron as just decorative ironwork or as another name for steel. Here it means a specific older iron material that was worked into shape and has different properties from cast iron and steel.
Example Sentence 1
The old hangar gates were made of wrought iron, which had been hammered into shape rather than cast.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight inspection the pilot noted the wrought iron control horn showed no signs of the cracking common in cast alternatives.