A flat metal tool heated on a stove and used to press wrinkles out of clothes, or a triangular building squeezed between two streets.
From 'flat' + 'iron'; describes the literal shape and material of the traditional pressing tool used before electric irons were invented. The Flatiron Building in New York City became famous for its distinctive wedge shape, inspiring the architectural term.
The famous Flatiron Building in New York City (finished in 1902) became an icon of early skyscraper design, and its distinctive triangular shape made it instantly recognizable—buildings have been called 'flatirons' ever since because of that one famous example!
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