steel

[ steel ]

noun

1. any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.
2. a thing or things made of this metal.
3. a flat strip of this metal used for stiffening, especially in corsets; stay.
4. a bar of this metal that has one end formed to hold a bit for driving through rock.
5. steels, stocks or bonds of companies producing this metal.
6. a sword.
7. a rounded rod of ridged steel, fitted with a handle and used especially for sharpening knives.

adjective

1. pertaining to or made of steel.
2. like steel in color, hardness, or strength.

verb (used with object)

1. to fit with steel, as by pointing, edging, or overlaying.
2. to cause to resemble steel in some way.
3. to render insensible, inflexible, unyielding, determined, etc.:

   He steeled himself to perform the dangerous task.

Steel

¹

/ stiːl /

noun

1. SteelDanielle1950MUSWRITING: romantic novelist Danielle, full name Danielle Fernande Schüelein-Steel. born 1950, US writer of romantic fiction
2. SteelDavid (Martin Scott), Baron1938MBritishPOLITICS: politician Baron David ( Martin Scott ). born 1938, British politician; leader of the Liberal Party (1976–88); Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (1999–2003)

steel

²

/ stiːl /

noun

1. 1. any of various alloys based on iron containing carbon (usually 0.1–1.7 per cent) and often small quantities of other elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, manganese, chromium, and nickel. Steels exhibit a variety of properties, such as strength, machinability, malleability, etc, depending on their composition and the way they have been treated
   2. ( as modifier ) See also stainless steel

      steel girders

2. something that is made of steel
3. a steel stiffener in a corset, etc
4. a ridged steel rod with a handle used for sharpening knives
5. the quality of hardness, esp with regard to a person's character or attitudes
6. stock exchange the quotation for steel shares See also steels
7. modifier resembling steel

   steel determination

verb

1. to fit, plate, edge, or point with steel
2. to make hard and unfeeling

   he steeled himself for the blow

   he steeled his heart against her sorrow

steel

/ stēl /

1. Any of various hard, strong, flexible alloys of iron and carbon. Often, other metals are added to give steel a particular property, such as chromium and nickel to make it stainless. Steel is widely used in many kinds of tools and as a structural material in building.

Derived Forms

• ˈsteeliness, noun
• ˈsteely, adjective

Other Words From

• steellike adjective
• pre·steel noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of steel¹

before 900; (noun) Middle English stele, Old English (north) stēle; cognate with Dutch staal, German Stahl, Old Norse stāl; (v.) Middle English stelen, Old English styled edged with steel, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of steel¹

Old English stēli; related to Old High German stehli, Middle Dutch stael

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with steel , also see mind like a steel trap .

Example Sentences

The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel.

From Los Angeles Times

Determined not to be blindsided a second time, I steeled myself for the return of this relentless specter in 2024.

From Salon

For islanders, whose lives are so interwoven with the sea, the ships of Britain's biggest ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne are more than just large lumps of steel and aluminium.

From BBC

His government imposed duties in May targeting China's electric cars, solar panels and steels.

From BBC

Stephen, recruited for his ability to provide the necessary tools, had produced a 100-tonne jack, explosives, and a thermal lance, which heats and melts steel with pressurized oxygen to create very high temperatures.

From BBC

Related Words

• brace
• fortify
• gird