Crossword Genius

I start to recover assigned to stern (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

iron

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'to stern' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for iron that I've seen before include "See 14" , "Heavy metal that rusts easily" , "sports club" , "Fe - golf club" , "rations in emergency?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sunday Times and The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.